GECKOS FIGHT OFF TITANS IN EARLY SEASON ACTION

By Eriele Salas

The George Washington Geckos showcased their dominance against the Tiyan Titans in the Father Dueñas Phoenix Center Saturday night in early season action of the ISA Girls Volleyball League.

GW’s Kamarin Guerrero was instrumental in bringing her team another win in the season. Guerrero assisted her team with 4 kills, 3 aces, and 2 blocks. The Geckos won in four sets 25-19, 25-16, 21-25, 25-23.

1st set

The Geckos had a strong head start in the set with Joie Almoguera serving eight consecutive times, with three of them being aces. The Titans didn’t have any rhythm to keep them consistent throughout the whole set, which gave the other team a six-point lead. The Geckos Mikaelah Santos and Haley Aguon destroyed the Titans with two kills each, and Guerrero assisted with two aces. Although Titans Asia Alisasis assisted her team with two kills, and Gabrielle Quichocho helped with two aces and a kill, it wasn’t enough to bring their team up. 

2nd set 

For the Titans, the biggest factor for their team to come together is communication. The Titans’ head coach Rod Pama says that in order for them to really gel together, they must be more calm and play how they perform during practices. The Geckos kept their consistency coming into this set, especially on the defensive line. Almoguera’s sets assisted Guerrero in getting two kills for the team. The Titans had a fair share of kills from Alisasis, Quichocho, and Natalie Mortera. Still, it wasn’t sufficient enough to give them a win. Four aces from GW’s Guerrero, Marii Manipol, Elahna Gumataotao, and Yenia Smartt gave their team the advantage to claim this set. Now, the Titans were even more determined to win something. 

3rd set 

Tiyan came back into the game with more confidence to win this set. They didn’t start off how they wanted, as some of their hits couldn’t find the court. Slowly but surely, they found their rhythm and became more consistent with their kills. Titans’ Kaya Nededog has three kills, with Giada Findish ending the rallies with two blocks. The Geckos were starting to get complacent which caused them to fall behind. GW’s Savannah Dela Rosa had two kills, but it didn’t give the Geckos any of the upper hand. The Titans’ defense is what kept them in the lead, and eventually helped them to finally secure a set. The Geckos knew they had to fight, and used this loss as fuel to finish in the next. 

4th set

It took some time for the Geckos to get their momentum back, but when they did, it was a head-to-head battle between the two teams. Both teams were focused on defending the ball from any kills coming their way, and were playing “catch-up” for most of the set. The Geckos’ Kierra Diego made sure every inch of the court was covered from the Titans’ attacks. The Titans attempted to focus on playing more offensively, but it didn’t work in their favor. Due to an attempted kill going out-of-bounds, the Geckos claimed the game as winners. 

Tiyan will be taking on the John F. Kennedy Islanders in Tiyan’s Throne next Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The Geckos have no game scheduled for the same day. 

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