BUMP, set, spike! Action in the volleyball community on the island isn’t just taking place at the middle and high school levels. This past weekend, several club teams got together to participate in the 2012 Dinaña Mangga’chong Coed Volleyball Tournament held down at the Inarajan Middle School Gymnasium.

The two-day tournament was being hosted by the Irensian Taotao Tano’ dance group. A total of seven teams battled one another over two days for the tournament’s top spot.

With every team making the single-elimination playoffs at the end of pool play, the intensity of matches were starting to heat up. Making their way through the brackets, Team Saolak and SIAH earned the berth to play for the tournament title. At the end of their match, the older and more experienced Team Saolak cruised to a 21-18, 21-16 victory over a younger SIAH squad.

In the opening set, both teams came storming out putting on a showcase of offensive power and outstanding defense. Team Saolak struck first when Frank “Z” Taitague drilled a hard-hit for a kill.

On the ensuing play, Team Saolak went up 2-0 after a ball-handling error by SIAH. The younger SIAH team didn’t seem to be bothered by the quick deficit and responded with two straight points on back-to-back kills by Kevin Aguigui.

Team Saolak ran into some trouble later in the set and gave up crucial points that allowed SIAH to build a 9-5 lead. Tisha-Renee Aguigui led the mini-surge serving up three aces. Team Saolak showed their experience on the court and held composure. Combined with SIAH errors and three kills by Mike Meno, Team Saolak equalized the game at 9-9. It was from that point where both teams traded points back and forth tying the game three other times.

With the score knotted at 18-18, Team Saolak took matters into their own hands and scored three straight points with Meno on the service line to clinch the first set.

Second set

Heading into the second set, neither team was willing to let down. A set-opening ace by Tisha-Renee Aguigui followed by a kill from Siaosi Furen gave SIAH an early 2-0 lead. However, the lead diminished quickly as good play at the net by Taitague garnered two points by Team Saolak to tie the game at 2-2.

Despite great efforts by SIAH, unforced errors plagued the younger squad that eventually led to a 12-6 deficit.

Trying effortlessly to get back into the game, SIAH managed to shave off some points and make it a 13-11 game led by four combined kills by Kevin Aguigui and Furen. Recognizing their strong potential, Team Saolak began to close the door on their opponents and eventually built a 20-16 lead to set up match point. Despite a great rally by both teams, SIAH couldn’t hold off their opponents and a hitting error gave Team Saolak the needed point for the championship.

Immediately after the match, an awards presentation was held to present Team Saolak and SIAH with their first- and second-place plaques. Team Manhoben, made up of middle school students, was awarded the tournament’s sportsmanship award.