By James Sablan
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Variety News Staff
IN a school year defined by unexpected disruptions and impending storms, the Marianas High School squad found their silver lining on the floor of the Agape Christian School gymnasium as they capped off an undefeated run by defeating Saipan Southern High School in two straight sets, 21-19 and 21-14, on Friday to capture the championship of the PSS Athletic Programs and Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association’s Boys High School Volleyball “Summer Strong” Recovery Tournament.
The title match did not disappoint.
Coming off a perfect 4-0 record in round-robin play, MHS entered the finals as the tournament’s biggest threat. SSHS, however — having fought its way back through the brackets by edging out visiting teams from Rota and Tinian — played with the fierce grit of an underdog with everything to gain.
In the opening set, SSHS came out executing strong transition play. With the help of key setters and blockers such as Theo and Daniel Joab, Matthew Peters, and Gian Antonio, the team managed to generate return plays right at the net, keeping the score neck-and-neck past the midway point.
However, their momentum gradually faded as the set progressed. Coming out of a timeout, MHS mounted its rally, highlighted by powerful spikes from Nuyles, Hong, and Apostel. Their aggressive play became their biggest strength as SSHS struggled to keep the ball in play, eventually dropping the first set, 21-19.
With momentum firmly on their side, MHS’ defensive line proved equally effective, with Teigita, Bisocho, and Pascual anchoring the front line and thwarting multiple attacks with well-timed blocks and diving saves. Although SSHS fought valiantly throughout the second set, they were unable to turn the tide and fell 21-14, as MHS secured the boys high school division championship title.
Reflecting on the achievement, PSS Athletic Program Director Nick Gross commended both teams in the final.
“Saipan Southern came back and showed incredible grit to dig in and do what they did, but in the end, the Dolphins were just too strong and too powerful,” Gross said.
The three-day tournament was organized as a beacon of recovery for student-athletes whose sports season was abruptly cut short by a typhoon. With the MHS home gym still undergoing repairs and unusable for play, the public-private partnership with Agape Christian School allowed the league to give graduating seniors one final, memorable run on the court.
For MHS graduate Apostel, the victory carried deep gratitude and a sense of redemption after falling short the previous year.
“Honestly, we were so sad that the volleyball season was canceled by the typhoon. But we really thank NMIVA Volleyball and PSS for creating this tournament for us because we put our heart and soul into it,” Apostel said. “We’re really glad that we were able to take back the trophy.”
He also highlighted the bond shared by the team. “It was incredible playing with these guys. I’ve known them for so long, and not only are they friends, they’ve been like partners for so many things. I’m really glad I was able to play with them one last time this school year.”
Gross noted that the tournament served as a fitting “cherry on top” to close out a difficult chapter before the school system shifts its focus back to storm preparation with a new weather system looming.
“We do hope to really kick things off, probably in early September once school gets going, with our activities. We’ve got everything slated and ready to go. We’ve figured out how to work through tricky situations, and I trust that we’ll be able to do it again,” Gross said.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
