MHS advances to girls v-ball finals

Marianas High School Lady Dolphins advanced to the championship round of the NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Girls High School Volleyball League 2024-2025 and now awaits their opponent after the playoff games last Wednesday and Thursday at the MHS Gymnasium.

The championship round that was scheduled for last Friday was postponed to sometime this week due to inclement weather.

In their semis game against Mount Carmel School Knights, they breezed through, 21-13, 21-9.

The MHS squad of Rizza Relucio, Erica Zandueta, Cassie Regan, Sheira Dela Rosa, Jayme Vargas, Airianna Estrada, Ella Hall, Direnalyn Castro, Fiona Regan, Savita Sikkel, and Charlotte Amano faced off against the Knights—who was one of only two losses in the regular season.

They came into the game with an unmatched vengeance and stopped the Knights in their tracks early as they sprinkled the first set with hard kills and well-placed serves. The Knights tried to pace a fiery Lady Dolphins team but could only land 13 points for a 13-21 first set.

The Lady Dolphins then brewed an even more perfect storm in the second set as they careened themselves into a dominating performance that left the Knights in shambles.

While the Knights’ rotation of Jieun Kwon, Chelsy Reyes, Chealzka Navarro, Mia Yobei, Mia Abuan, Maili Peter, Hope McQuay, Sarah Melchor, Patricia Matsumoto, Aubrey Quitugua, Anjoelena Villagomez, and Aryanna Taimanao tried to stick their footing and make a plea for a tie-breaking third set, MHS put a stop to it quickly and left them at just nine points for a 9-21 final.

The Lady Dolphins are awaiting the winner of the Grace Christian Academy and Agape Christian School semis game that is scheduled before the championship game.

In the quarterfinals last Wednesday, GCA barely escaped the clutches of the Kagman High School Lady Ayuyus in three hard sets, 19-21, 21-10, 15-12.

As for the game between ACS and Saipan Southern High School Lady Manta Rays, ACS lit them up, 21-14, 21-4.

Earlier in the tourney, KHS beat SSHS, 21-11, 21-18; GCA beat Saipan International School, 21-18, 21-17; MCS defeated Dr. Rita Hocog Inos High School 21-15, 21-16; ACS took down Tinian High School, 21-13, 21-19; MHS won over defeated KHS, 21-14, 21-18; SSHS bounced back and defeated SIS in three tough sets, 23-21, 16-21, 15-8; KHS edged THS, 21-14, 21-9; SSHS overpowered RHI, 21-15, 21-11; MCS got the better of GCA, 21-17, 21-18; and MHS powered past ACS 21-11-, 21-15.

In an email, PSS Athletics director Nick Gross said of the championship round’s postponement, “I’ll work with our partner the NMIVA, as well as NMSA regarding use of the Ada Gym to support play. Tuesday (10/29) would be the earliest that we could reschedule play, but please allow us time to work with stakeholders.”