Edged by GCA at the start, the Geckos pulled an amazing come back in the second set. Eight points behind, Clay McCullough and Josh Borja caught the Eagles off guard with multiple spikes.
Clay was joined by his sister Emma McCullough on the court, who formed an impenetrable defense with Amber Roberts. When at the front row, Roberts would assist Tae Han Yoon and Borja with sets.
Tied at 21-21, the Eagles tried to catch up but were too late. The Geckos grew more fearsome as Andrew Nutting joined Borja, Yoon, Clay and Emma McCullough on the court.
A more aggressive offense was the Geckos’ key in the second set. The Eagles were surprised to lose the lead, especially after their four-point jump from Chargualaf. Out-of-bound returns from GCA put the Geckos at a brief advantage.
The Eagles improved their team in the third set, joining Angelo Salas and Dae Min Jeon with Chargualaf and Libut. Christine Cristobal and Aira Batallones took shifts in the game as they helped in the defense.
Both teams stayed close near the end, with SIS snatching a one point lead. A return from Jeon temporarily saved the Eagles from Nutting’s spike, but it was Yoon that took the kill.
SIS won the game at 15-12 in the final set, breaking GCA’s unbeaten record.
The Geckos’ entire team consisted of Josh Borja, Jeane Bracken, Celine Camacho, Zoe Jewell, Shanne Jones, Joon Lee, Clay and Emma McCullough, Andrew Nutting, Amber Roberts, Jessica Soll, Tae Yoon, and Coaches Mili Saiki and Kim Peterson.
While GCA was awarded second place, Calvary Christian Academy was also given the Sportsmanship Award.
Snatching this year’s MVP awards were SIS’ Amber Roberts and GCA’s Brandon Chargualaf. Other individuals recognized in the league were Hiromasa Kawahara (CCA), Paul Samson (Marianas Baptist Academy), Frank Villagomez (Mount Carmel School), Josh Borja (SIS Team A), and Christian Lam (SIS Team B).
