The Koblerville Elementary School Umangs pose for a photo after winning their third straight NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Volleyball League co-ed elementary school division championship at the Oleai Sports Complex on Saturday.
FOR the third straight year, the Koblerville Elementary School Hugging Umangs have retained the co-ed elementary school division title of the NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Volleyball League SY23-24, this time by defeating the Kagman Elementary School Blue Marlins in two sets at the Oleai Sports Complex on Saturday.
Koblerville was unmatched as a team, covering the weakside while setting up the return using the three-touch approach to end with a strong spike finish whenever possible.
In the first set, Kagman stood their ground for most of the exchanges but had to play catch up as Koblerville’s continuous pressure caused the Blue Marlins to commit errors due to miscommunication and uncontrolled returns.
In the last few possessions, Kagman kept their heads up and hoped for a late-game comeback. However, Koblerville sealed the deal with back-to-back aces to claim the first set, 21-13.
After the break, Kagman returned to the second set eager for redemption. At first, things were looking well as they controlled the tempo and seized a six-point lead. However, their errors and miscommunication gave Koblerville the opportunity to stage a rally.
Koblerville eventually equalized and then took over, 18-11.
Kagman tried to stay alive, but they failed to stop Koblerville’s onslaught as the Umangs notched their second win, 21-15, to claim the championship for the third year in a row.
“We feel happy. The students worked hard,” said Koblerville head coach Francis Mendiola.
“We worked on defense with our team. We just needed to work on the basic fundamentals and this victory is just an indication of the result of all the training. So kudos to the kids and the other coaches!” said Jonas Barcinas, Koblerville vice principal and assistant coach.
Mendiola said thanks to the addition of Barcinas to the coaching staff, along with teachers Erlwin Aguirre and Angie Ruiz, his players’ skills saw significant improvement.
All the coaches also recognized and thanked PSS, the staff, students and parents for supporting the team.
For their part, Koblerville players Shynelle Yamada, Leiha’ani Pebley, and Germaya Sellem said although the training was hard, Coach Barcinas helped them win another title.
A Kagman Elementary School player sets up the ball during the championship game in the co-ed elementary school division of the NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Volleyball League SY23-24 at the Oleai Sports Complex on Saturday.
A Koblerville Elementary School student connects the underhand serve against Kagman Elementary School during the championship game in the co-ed elementary school division of the NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Volleyball League SY23-24 at the Oleai Sports Complex on Saturday.
