CLTES END DEFENDERS STREAK

📅15 October 2012

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By Errol Alegre, Jr.

CLTES’ Joe Rivera was a key contributor in the win over the Defenders. (photo by Errol Alegre, Jr.)

Team C.L. Taitano Elementary School upset the previously undefeated DPR Defenders in their GovGuam Coed Volleyball game. Teamwork proved to be their strongest weapon against the Defenders, taking a two set win 25-16, 25-21.

“I guess we were psyched up. We played with good teamwork. It was just one good team against another,” stated assistant principal Gloria Barretto after the game.

Early in the second set, it looked as if CLTES was going to take another big deficit win. Joe Rivera swatted down an overpass from the Defenders to make the score 5-3. Rivera and teammate Joe San Nicolas recorded aces later in the set to extend the CLTES lead to ten. Barretto, along with the rest of her teammates, played stubborn defense picking up digs that frustrated the Defenders offense. After multiple errors on the Defenders’ part, Team CLTES had their biggest lead of the night going up 19-7.

Not minding the score the Defenders jumped right back into the game, going on a 10-1 run thanks to Ken San Nicolas’ three aces and three more tough serves that forced Team CLTES to make the mistakes. Defenders’ Jose Marquez also contributed two tips in the run and Randy Rivera added a kill to close the gap to just three. However, after San Nicolas killed another Defenders overpass, CLTES found themselves at game point. Digging themselves into to deep a hole, the Defenders were unable to take the second set win due to an unforced error.

CLTES’ Joe San Nicolas makes a good serve receive in the second set. (photo by Errol Alegre, Jr.)

Off to a slow start, both teams traded points and errors in the first set, tying four times before CLTES would take the lead. Getting into their groove, CLTES easily took the first set with aces from San Nicolas and everyone doing their part, pushing the ball into the holes of the Defenders defense.

With the win, Team CLTES improves to 4-2 while the Defenders drop to 5-1.