Night of favorites at PIC

There are only a couple of more dates remaining for the hottest players of the local volleyball scene, but the island’s best players are far from coasting into he postseason as the top teams picked up wins on Thursday night in continuation of the 7th Annual Miller Lite Coed Four-Person Beach Volleyball League.

The sand was flying and wind was whipping at the Pacific Islands Club as Got Beer?, America F@#& Yeah!, Pugua Time!, and Palaksi all emerged victorious in games they were meant to have won from the outset.

Jon Cramer’s Got Beer? brew crew improved to 10-3 on the season as they schooled the students from Marianas High School in straight sets, 11-4, 11-5, and 11-6. Despite being outgunned, the Dolphins never gave up and came closer to a win with each successive set. Be that as it may, MHS fell to 2-10 and got some company in the “Schools with two wins” club when Saipan International School picked up a “W” against You’re My Boy Blue!

The Geckos didn’t have to work too hard to win the game—in fact; they didn’t have to work at all as the friends of Blue (4-9) failed to field enough players in time to play a game.

Neither of the teams improved their standing in the playoff hunt, but America F@#& Yeah! kept alive their hopes of catching the Hot Myx by knocking off Namete. At 11-2, America is just a game back of the Myx (12-1) with one game remaining on the schedule, but they fell behind early by dropping the first set, 2-11. Mark McDonald’s squad refused to fold and kicked Namete to the curb by edging the oft forfeiting club in the second, 11-9, before snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in the third, 11-6.

Such heroics were not on hand for the Sugoi Seven (1-13), as they were pummeled by an undermanned Pugua Time! squad that relied on PIC guests to fill its ranks. Marino Pungilug and Evan Hunsberger were the lone Puguans who appeared, but that was more than enough as the Yap attack and the Washington Wonder overcame a first set forfeit to take the next two, 11-3 and 11-7.

Pugua Time! improved to 9-3 with the win and has a pair of contests remaining while Palaksi kept pace with America F@#& Yeah! by rallying to defeat Lick It, Stick It, Smack It in the final two sets.

After losing a tough opener 12-10, Palaksi put together a pair of dominating sets to earn its 11th win by a combined 22-8 while Lick It, Stick It, Smack It fell to 8-5.