Lost Boyz suffer letdown

While there was no surprise when the Monarchs failed to show up for their contest with the Managaha Chiefs at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium, many players and fans were disappointed when the Lost Boyz were unable to field a team of six against No Fear in one of the most anticipated contests in the Island Wide Volleyball League season.

With the forfeit, the Lost Boyz dropped into second place at 12-4, marking the first time that they have been out of the top spot all season. No Fear (13-2) now reigns supreme in the league, while the Chiefs are close by in third at 11-3. The lowly Monarchs are a miserable 0-14 due to their lackluster attendance record, but they haven’t shown their faces in the Ada Gym since some time in 2004.

While the upper echelon of the league was without challenge, a pair of middle-of-the-road teams provided plenty of sparks in the late games, as the NMC Proa and Chuukanos outlasted their competition.

The Proa raised their record to 6-8 as a result of their two-set sweep over the Ol’ Aces (4-11), 25-21 and 25-21. Though they took both of the sets from the Aces, the match up was anything but one-sided as each team took turns holding the advantage.

Marino Pungiulug racked up a pair of kills in the first set while teammates Sivas Awes and David Tisa each sent a fireball to the floor to help the Proa eke out the four-point win. Pungiulug recorded another pair of kills in the second set, but it was teammate Gino Libuw crushed four of the multi-colored balls into the Ol’ Aces court to give the Proa another four point victory.

On the other side of the Oleai facility, the Chuukanos held off Shag (7-8) to earn their eighth win of the season, 25-14 and 26-24. After jumping out to an 11-point win in the first set, the Chuukanos (8-5) were engaged in a tight battle with the Rocball crossovers in the second. Eken Amitaro led the way with four kills, but he got plenty of help from Ritrick Masawa, J-Luck Takoichu, and Tery Sam who combined for four six kills in the clincher.

All that remains now for the IWVBL is the scheduling of the make-up games, which according to league officials will be released soon. After the make-ups, the league will move into playoff mode where they will welcome back the women’s league for the postseason action as well.