{"id":412132,"date":"2024-08-28T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=412132"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Inaugural-4-Starz-v-ball-tourney-underway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Inaugural-4-Starz-v-ball-tourney-underway\/","title":{"rendered":"Inaugural 4 Starz v-ball tourney underway"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Inaugural 4 Starz Fall Fest Volleyball Tournament 2024 is underway with their opening day of games last Monday at the Agape Gymnasium.<\/p>\n

The tourney is played this whole week until Saturday, Aug. 31, with the men\u2019s and women\u2019s playoffs and championships set for that day.<\/p>\n

In last Monday\u2019s games on Court 1, The Bomba beat Agape 1, 25-21; Bench Warmers shot down Bikini Bangers, 25-16; Agape 1 edged Oasis, 25-14; 4 Starz silenced Tan Holdings, 25-11; Bench Warmers took down Fall Guys, 25-21; 4 Starz routed PIC Block Party, 25-19; Bikini Bangers overcame Chura, 25-20; and Fall Guys notched a win over Black Label, 25-11.<\/p>\n

Then on Court 2, Rice Cracker drenched Oasis, 25-11; Tan Holdings just managed to slip past Agape 2, 28-26; The Bomba exploded, 25-20, over Rice Cracker; Agape 2 came back to win over PIC Block Party, 25-15; Agape 1 outlasted Rice Cracker, 26-25; Chura broke Black Label, 25-16; The Bomba drowned Oasis, 26-24; and Tan Holdings overpowered PIC Block Party, 25-12.<\/p>\n

The men\u2019s teams include Bench Warmers, Bikini Bangers, Fall Guys, Chura, Black Label, The Bomba, Rice Crackers, Agape 1, Oasis, 4 Starz, Tan Holdings, PIC Block Party, and Agape 2. The women\u2019s teams consist of Wave Riders, Lady Starz, Agape, Kiss My Ace, and Tan Holdings Volleybabez.<\/p>\n

The tourney consists of two phases\u2014the preliminary phase in which the 13 teams in the men\u2019s division are divided into three pools (A with five teams, B with four teams and C with four teams).<\/p>\n

Every team within the pool will play against each other twice or thrice, one set, and best to 25 points. A cross play within B and C will occur challenging within.<\/p>\n

The Top 2 teams from each pool and the two best third from will advance to the final phase. As a guide, a ranking system is in place to arrive at the final bracket of the quarter finals. Only eight teams will advance.<\/p>\n

For the women\u2019s division of five teams, there are also two phases. The preliminary phase in which the five teams will play against each other once, best of three sets up to 25 points.<\/p>\n

The Top 4 teams will advance to the Final Phase. As a guide, a ranking system is in place to arrive at the final bracket of the semifinals. Only four teams will advance to playoffs<\/p>\n

4 Starz is a volleyball group that was formed last year, with an homage to its president\u2019s roots from the Federated States of Micronesia and Japan\u2014hence the four stars within the sun of Japan\u2019s flag in their logo. The four stars represent the four states\u2014Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Yap.<\/p>\n

In an interview during the tourney, the group\u2019s president and tournament organizer, Nak Nakashima, said that the turnout of their first ever tourney was a success and came as a surprise\u2014with 13 men\u2019s teams and five women\u2019s teams vying for a spot in the championship round.<\/p>\n

He said the purpose of the tourney was to bring back indoor volleyball to the island. \u201cWe really want to play volleyball\u2026 and we\u2019re focused mostly on bringing back the sport. It\u2019s not really that active so that was our first focus\u2014to bring back to sport,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Agape Gymnasium also hosts an open gym on Monday and Friday nights, and Nakashima said that they have players as young as 13 ask them when the next tournament is. \u201cSo, my wife kept pushing to start a tournament, and I said sure, let\u2019s try,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He then said, \u201cI appreciate pastor [Kok] H. Pang of Agape Christian School for the open gym and for setting aside dates just for the weeklong tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Tan Holdings\u2019 Nahson Padhak, foreground, makes a kill past two Agape 2 players during one of two opening games of the 4 Starz Inaugural Fall Fest Volleyball Tournament 2024 is underway with their opening day of games last Monday at the Agape Gymnasium<\/p>\n

-LEIGH GASES
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