COUGARS SWEEP KNIGHTS IN STRAIGHT SETS

By Shania Bulala

Fans packed the Academy of Our Lady of Guam (AOLG) gymnasium Friday evening as the Cougars and St. John’s Knights faced off again for the first time since last season’s championship match. The Knights put up a tough fight, but the Cougars gave them their first loss of the season, winning in straight sets 25-19, 25-22, 25-10.

The Cougars’ victory showcased their position as a top contender in the league once again this season.

Senior middle blocker Natasha Kelly led the Cougars with five kills. “We really showed our strength and our resilience. There were times when we were down and just took a sweep and got back up. We managed to push through and get past the nerves together as a team,” said Kelly.

Setter and Cougars captain, Arianna Cruz, was very instrumental in her team’s victory on both the offense and defensive ends. “My team performed amazing tonight. We had our ups and downs, but we found a way to get it out of our heads and play our best,” said Cruz. “Our goal was to not stop, go after every ball, and get a side out.”

1st set
The energy was high in the gym as the Knights and Cougars began the match neck and neck, rallying one point after another. The Knights led most of the first set as they were able to capitalize on the Cougars’ errors, but the Cougars fought back with strong plays at the net to eventually take the set, 25-19. The home crowd went wild as Mercedes Mendiola-Cruz served an ace to seal the 1st set for the Cougars.

2nd set
The Knights started off the set strong with a 0-4 lead as Knights’ Ava Ouhadi went on a three ace streak, forcing the Cougars to call a timeout to recoup. The Knights were leading all the way up until the 17th point, when the Cougars finally tied the set. Both teams went back and forth as each team struggled to gain a significant lead. In the end, the Cougars managed to pull ahead and secure the second set with a score of 25-22.

3rd set
The Cougars knew they needed to win this set to take home the victory. Cruz had fans at the edge of their seats as she served four straight aces to put the Cougars in a comfortable 8-1 lead. The lead widened even further as the Cougars maintained their momentum, ultimately breezing through the third set 25-10.

The Cougars’ teamwork and strong communication on the court were evident throughout the match. “This was a big mentality game for us,” said Kelly. “Coach Manny (Guarin) always emphasizes that we are playing against ourselves at the end of the day and that this was the match to show we can give it our all on the court.”

At the junior varsity level, the Cougars also defeated the Knights 26-24, 25-4, 25-22.

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