Grace Christian Academy players pose for a photo after successfully defending their volleyball title for the third straight year.
GCA’s Neveah Camacho connects the spike return during the girls middle school division title game of the NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Volleyball League at the MHS gym.
GRACE Christian Academy successfully defended their title for the third consecutive year by beating Mount Carmel School, 21-16, 21-12, in the girls middle school division championship of the NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Volleyball League SY23-24 at the Marianas High School gym.
GCA blew through the tournament with ease to reach the final round without a scratch. MCS, for their part, had to fight their way to the championship, which they eventually reached after defeating Hopwood Middle School.
During the first set of the championship match, MCS had the better start as they scored a few returns, but GCA gradually improved their game to seize the lead.
GCA’s players were Llyanna Libut, Neveah Camacho, Aiyana Fatialofa, Eliane Pagaduan, Wylynn Pua, Keala Takeda, Sarah Lim, Guadalupe Villagomez, Jojo Yarofalir, Breanna Lopez and Qihan Wang. They worked well as a team as they constantly utilized the three-touch strategy to their advantage, landing a handful of powerful spikes and unexpected early returns to throw MCS off guard and claim the first set, 21-16.
In the second set, GCA established early control and never lost grip.
Camacho, Fatialofa, Lim and Pagaduan continued to apply pressure with countless spikes to extend a double-digit lead. MCS fought back, but were eventually silenced by their own mistakes and had to bow down to GCA, 12-21.
“I’m so proud of them,” said player-turned-coach Kat Saures. She was one of GCA’s top players in the high school division but has already graduated and is now a student at Northern Marianas College.
“I’m so thankful to [GCA head coach] Mr. Cesar [Libut] for helping me with coaching. I would really like to continue doing this,” Saures said.
Defense was the main focus for GCA, she added. “You really have to be prepared for anything.”
