ASIJ’s Serena Koslow, spiking against Kadena’s Leighton Botes and Christina Kehe, had a team-leading nine hitting winners for the Mustangs. (Mayu Ono/Special to Stripes)

TOKYO – She stands just 5-foot-3, diminutive in a sport that begs for height. But on Saturday, Serena Koslow played like a giant.

The junior outside hitter collected nine hitting winners, helping host American School In Japan rally from an early deficit to win its first YUJO volleyball tournament title since 2016, beating Kadena 25-22, 25-21 in Saturday’s YUJO Tournament girls championship match.

“It’s amazing,” Koslow said, crediting her Mustangs teammates for helping get her the ball. “I could not have done it without my teammates. Every one of my teammates supported me. I love them.”

“She’s a powerhouse,” said teammate Nina Defibaugh of Koslow, who also wrestles for the Mustangs and is the younger sister of three former Far East champion brothers, who all wrestled for St. Mary’s.

Chiefly responsible for giving Koslow her hitting chances was setter Emi Matsumoto, who was named All-Tournament following her 17 assists in the championship.

“I adjust based on what my hitters like,” Matsumoto said. “They ask and I deliver.”

Mari Annis, who was also named All-Tournament, contributed five hitting winners for the Mustangs. She added two block kills, as did Maya Durkee, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

ASIJ's Christina Samson spikes against Kadena's Jenna Cook and Liza Young. (Mayu Ono/Special to Stripes)

ASIJ’s Maya Durkee spiking against Kadena’s Jenna Cook and Liza Young, was named the girls tournament’s Most Valuable Player. (Mayu Ono/Special to Stripes)

ASIJ's Lily Stone-Bourgeois spikes against Kadena's Sara Mei Fussinger. (Mayu Ono/Special to Stripes)

ASIJ spectators mob the floor to congratulate the YUJO girls tournament champions. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Kadena's Genesis Afaisen spikes against ASIJ's Mari Annis and Emi Matsumoto. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Kadena's Leighton Botes spikes against ASIJ's Mari Annis. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Kadena's Jenna Cook hits against ASIJ's Lily Stone-Bourgeois. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

ASIJ downed a Panthers team that made history en route to its first YUJO finals appearance.

Kadena dethroned two-time defending YUJO champion Kubasaki 25-23, 25-18 in the semifinal. It was the Panthers’ fourth win this season over the Dragons, something they’ve not done since 2003, when Kadena finished third in the Far East Division I tournament.

“They played really hard,” coach Gina Fussinger said of her Panthers. “The girls played with a lot of heart and I’m really proud of them. I give ASIJ a lot of credit. We’ll see them at Far East,” scheduled for Oct. 21-23 at Kubasaki. The D-II version is set for Yokota on Oct. 17-19.

In the final, Kadena jumped ahead 7-1 in the first set, but Christina Samson delivered three straight aces to help the Mustangs rally to tie it 11-11. A Koslow kill put ASIJ ahead to stay 18-17. Kadena cut a 24-19 deficit by three points, but a Samson kill iced the first set.

The Mustangs pushed ahead in the second set 9-4, but Kadena refused to go quietly.

A kill by All-Tournament outside hitter Samantha Kehe gave the Panthers a brief 14-13 lead. But a four-touch error by the Panthers gave ASIJ the lead for keeps 15-14 and the Mustangs pulled away.

Kehe had seven hitting winners and her sister Christina had 13 assists for the Panthers. All-Tournament middle Jenna Cook had three block points for Kadena.

In the semifinal victory over Kubasaki, Christina Kehe had eight assists, helping overcome seven kills by the Dragons’ Yuri Biggins and teammate Lyn Doctolero’s 12 assists.

Boys move off the start line at the beginning of Saturday's DODEA and Kanto Plain cross country meet at Yokota, which featured Kadena of Okinawa for the first time in two years. (Edgren cross country)

Speed rules the day in rainy cross country meet at Yokota

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – Despite rain, heavy at times, all but four runners set personal bests and two boys runners set school records in an inter-district cross country meet at Yokota High School.

Simon Nakamura of Christian Academy Japan clocked 15 minutes, 47.7 seconds on a mostly road course at and near the high school and Yokota’s Par-3 golf course.

Nile C. Kinnick’s Talan Farrington also beat his school record, running 15:50.4. Mia Bartram of Kinnick led the girls with a time of 19:50.7.

The meet featured runners from Kadena for the first time in a Kanto Plain event in two years. William Rhoades paced the Panthers, finishing sixth in 16:11.8 for the boys, while Allie Sims led Kadena’s girls, placing eighth in 21:17.3.