Lady Eagles win 7th straight v-ball title

The Grace Christian Academy Lady Eagles’ volleyball legacy is safe in their hands as they made like phoenixes and rose from the ashes after their first finals round loss—and won the last matchup in their double-elimination finals for a seventh straight girls high school volleyball title last Saturday.

The Lady Eagles soared high in the final round led by multi-sport athlete Azriel Fatialofa and captain and setter Eunice Pagaduan—for a two-set, 23-21, 21-16, win against tough contender Marianas High School Lady Dolphins in the NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Girls High School Volleyball League 2023-2024 championships at a rowdy and electric MHS Gymnasium.

Battling not only each other, but also hunger, exhaustion, and pressure, the championship round that began in the late morning and ended way past noon, was the epitome of a fight-until-the-finish matchup.

The Lady Dolphins fought with all their heart, soul, sweat, and tears since the tournament began last Thursday and forced a second final match coming from the losers’ bracket last Saturday, but it was lucky No. 7 for the Lady Eagles as they gave the best parting gift coach Iszel Esteves could ask for—the championship title.

The Lady Eagles’ starting six made up of lethal setter Pagaduan, tall and powerful Azriel Fatialofa, hard-serving Alyssa Omampo and Misako Ota, and speedy Sofia Gomez and Bea Fabre, were stumped after the Lady Dolphins forced a last championship matchup when they defeated the Lady Eagles in three nail-biting sets, 16-21, 21-16, 21-14, in the first finals round.

The Lady Dolphins’ momentum was in full force as their starting six of Erica Zandueta, Eagles-turned-Dolphin Cassie Regan, Tamia Hix, Rizza Relucio, Elaina Manglona, and Julie Capayas took with them their burning desire to oust the six-time reigning volleyball champions.

Their well thought out communication and accurate returns and kills rooted the flying Lady Eagles to the ground as they could not catch up to their mounting third set lead. MHS also smartly avoided putting anything into the vicinity of mainstay Fatialofa—which allowed them to steal the first finals matchup.

GCA also made a few too many mistakes as they fumbled around trying to anticipate MHS’ next move. After their first finals loss, the Lady Eagles quickly regrouped and devised a new plan to shut down the Lady Dolphins once and for all—while the Lady Dolphins looked to lock in their first championship.

It was all over for the mighty Lady Dolphins though in the final championship round as the Lady Eagles’ rotation of Pagaduan, Fatialofa, Omampo, Ota, Gomez, Fabre, Eunji Hahn, Taehee Kim, Ana Teng, Matty Angeles, Maria Zheng, Dianna Zheng, and Jenny Zheng overpowered their exhausted team to clinch their seventh straight title.

After the final point from Pagaduan—what was left of the crowd after the close to three-hour championship matchup exploded into cheers as the Lady Eagles celebrated with tears of joy—while emotions understandably welled up for the Lady Dolphins too, as they came close to breaking GCA’s championship streak.

The Lady Dolphins roster with Hix, Zandueta, Relucio, Manglona, Regan, and Capayas, also included Deivalyn Ham, Direnalyn Castro, Myah Omelau, Airianna Estrada, Sheira Dela Rosa, and Ayanna Stole.

MHS first ousted Tinian High School in the morning, 21-12, 21-12, then defeated Saipan International School, in three tough sets, 21-17, 18-21, 16-14.

GCA, on the other hand, defeated Dr. Rita H. Inos High School, 21-7, 21-8; then got the better of MHS, 21-17, 21-16; and beat SIS, 21-15, 21-12.

Esteves, head coach this year of GCA’s girls volleyball team, said she was a waterfall of emotion after clinching the championship because it was her last season with the team. She said it’s her first championship as head coach and her last.

The three-year volleyball coach said she had told her team a day before the championship that it would be her last season with them as she is leaving the island at the end of the year—and the whole team was a mix of emotions after the finals—happy that they won, but sad that their coach was leaving.

She said, fighting tears back, “I told them, if we’re going to win this championship, it’s going to be so memorable for me because it’s my last season and I’m leaving soon. They didn’t break my heart and they gave me the championship—that’s why I’m full of emotions. I’m going to miss these students, that’s why I’m like this.”

As for the championship round, Esteves said, “the first game this morning, we had a lot of errors on receiving and service. I already told them we know what we’re capable of—we know how good we are, so we just need to trust ourselves and our teammates… just give your all—be there—talk and have good communication.”

The Lady Eagles came into the season undefeated from previous seasons and for the first time, lost a regular season game. Esteves said it was due to a new batch of players coming into the team from middle school—with their core six players having graduated last school year.

“It was going to be hard for them and maybe the chemistry was not there yet, but we still tried to manage with everything that we got. Our first loss before the double elimination was against Agape [Christian School]. We did not underestimate their team—they have a good coach and training, so we just needed to fight back. We lost that one, but we made sure to come back with a good record.”

She then thanked the Public School System for the tournament and giving students the opportunity to show off their skills, GCA, coach Cesar Libut, coach Julie Harison, the students, and her family.

Pagaduan, a junior, said “It was such an awe moment for me. That was something I was not expecting, but I knew in my mind—I knew in the team’s mind and coaches’ mind that it was our game and we were able to get that championship. And so, sticking to that players mindset really helped me get that serve over—get the team together, and I think it’s just all about communication and we were able to make it.”

Libut, who has been the head coach for all of the school’s championship wins, but this time was the assistant coach, said that this game, “was one of the best finals games we’ve ever played.” Officially, it’s GCA’s seventh straight win in the NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Girls High School Volleyball League, but Libut said it’s his eighth championship including the private school volleyball league in school year 2015-2016.

As for how he felt about Esteves leaving, he said “She’s one of the best players on the island. I’ve learned a lot from her… And I think this is the key—when we practice, the joy of being together is the key—everybody just wants to stay—we’re just like one big family.”

Libut added that they will be back even better and stronger than ever next season—in hopes of winning the title for the eighth time.