BEACH VOLLEYBALL TAKES TO THE SAND

By Gabie Tesoro

The high school boys beach volleyball season officially kicked off Monday afternoon, with teams taking the sand across four courts to open another exciting season. The day’s matches featured Pool A teams, showing a glimpse of who could emerge as top contenders this season.

This year’s boys division is split into two competitive pools. Pool A includes HCA White, FD Gold, SJS Red, JFK, Sanchez, Okkodo, Career Tech, and GACS, while Pool B includes FD Maroon, GW, HCA Blue, Tiyan, SJS White, Guam High, Southern, and Notre Dame.

Both veterans and younger duos made their season debuts, looking to make a statement. The weather was favorable for most of the afternoon, though stronger winds in the second half challenged teams on serve receive and ball control.

FD Gold def. JFK 3-0

FD Gold showed early-season chemistry and power, sweeping JFK behind strong serving and consistent net play.

Vince Carmona/Caelen Duenas (FD Gold) def. Joseph Blas/Ezekiel Perez (JFK) 21-10, 21-13

Antonio Egurrola/Steffen Surban (FD Gold) def. Cash Apilado/John Simbulan (JFK) 21-13, 21-13

Jace Aguon/Koley Guerrero (FD Gold) def. Jonathan Quidachay/Jaython Cruz (JFK) 21-11, 21-13

Aguon and Guerrero, who finished second overall last season, stood out with their chemistry and consistency. “Our chemistry is really strong, and we’ve been focusing on staying consistent and trusting each other,” said Guerrero. “We give 100 percent in every match,” added Aguon.

HCA White def. SJS Red 2-1

HCA White edged out SJS Red in a competitive matchup that featured tight sets and strong swings.

Koah Reyes/Shotaro Gonda (HCA White) def. Knathan Davis/Eric Kwon (SJS Red) 21-16, 22-20

Donovan Tamondong/Immanuel Malachi (HCA White) def. Harry Vitale/Elijah Dewan (SJS Red) 21-18, 21-19

Alex Punagco/Oliver Schaumanu (SJS Red) def. Isaac Dungca/AJ Welles (HCA White) 21-19, 21-15

HCA White leaned on strong defense and smart cut shots to secure the overall win. The team enters the season with big shoes to fill following the graduation of last year’s championship duo, Devin Paulin and Jack Keith.

Sanchez def. Okkodo 1-0 (Forfeit)

Rynier Ramos/Jushley Dimla (Sanchez) def. Jared Santos/Aaron Garcia (Okkodo) 21-16, 22-20

Okkodo forfeited Matches 2 and 3, giving Sanchez the overall victory. The opening match featured tight plays with Sanchez pulling away after a 20-20 tie in the second set.

GACS def. Career Tech 3-0

GACS dominated play with aggressive serving and communication.

Shane Casil/Ethyn Hernandez (GACS) def. Rayray Lorenzo/Peter Larue (Career Tech) 21-0, 21-0

Bryce Sugiyama/Arjelson Ramos (GACS) def. Jude Cruz/Anthony Fejeran (Career Tech) 21-14, 21-8

Ethan Hernandez/Shane Asic (GACS) def. Tritsan Flores/Trevor Zamora (Career Tech) 21-6, 17-21, 15-7

With the season officially underway, teams will look to adjust to changing weather conditions and continue building chemistry. Pool B teams will take the sand next on Thursday, January 29.

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