Kadena's Leighton Botes spikes against ASIJ's Mari Annis. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
With reigning champion Academy of Our Lady of Guam returning five players selected All-Tournament last year, DODEA-Pacific coaches are wrestling with one question: How can anybody stop the Cougars?
Academy has made the Far East Division I girls volleyball tournament its playground since the Cougars first entered it in 1989. The Cougars hold the Pacific record with nine D-I tournament titles, though they had a 19-year stretch without one until last fall at Humphreys.
One might think one of the best persons to ask is a former member of the staff of the Guam National Team, Tony San Nicolas. For more than a decade, he has been coaching Nile C. Kinnick, one of many DODEA teams that have not solved that puzzle. And he says it’s still a puzzle.
“I don’t know if there’s any stopping them,” San Nicolas said Thursday, four days before the D-I tournament begins at Okinawa’s Kubasaki High School and Zukeran Middle School.
The tournament runs three days and features eight teams, five DODEA squads and three international school teams, all playing a full round-robin over the first two days, followed by a single-elimination round on Wednesday. The championship match is at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Kubasaki.
“It’s a matter of people not hurting themselves with mistakes,” San Nicolas said.
Nile C. Kinnick’s Michele Holloway spikes against Robert D. Edgren’s Summer Martinez during the Red Devils’ two-set DODEA-Japan victory in late August. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kubasaki's Yuri Biggins spikes against Nile C. Kinnick's Giovanna Kennedy on Day 1 of the 10th ASIJ YUJO Tournament. The Dragons won in two sets. (Mayu Ono/Special to Stripes)
Kadena’s Liza Young spikes against Yokota’s Claire Smith on Day 1 of the 10th ASIJ YUJO Tournament. Kadena won in three sets. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
DODEA teams have what it takes to beat powerhouse teams like Academy, San Nicolas said. Proof lies in the fact that host Kubasaki has four D-I titles to its credit over the last 10 years.
“Presenting something that they’re not used to,” he said. “Trying to make adjustments on the fly and trying to catch them off guard.”
It’s not just Academy that has enjoyed success over the years at Far East D-I. American School In Japan is second to Academy with eight D-I titles and Seisen, also of Tokyo, has won five.
Against teams like them, “you have to keep the ball alive, you have to cover your swings, keep the ball going over the net and keep up the pressure,” Kubasaki coach Josh McCall said.
His junior outside hitter and returning All-Tournament player Yuri Biggins “has to have a huge game and our (middle blockers) have to be effective,” McCall said.
That’s where Kadena, the Dragons’ arch rival, may have an edge in middle blockers Liza Young and Leighton Botes. The Panthers finally broke through against Kubasaki this season, beating the Dragons four of five times after not winning the Okinawa district title since 2003.
Kinnick and San Nicolas two weeks ago had their struggles in the ASIJ YUJO tournament, which featured both the host Mustangs and Seisen. But the next week, the Red Devils – with senior outside hitters Michele Holloway and Leona Turner – beat both ASIJ and the Phoenix.
Despite that success, “they’re going to be tough, no matter what you do,” McCall said. “They have strong attackers and good ball control.”
McCall feels that Kinnick could be a D-I darkhorse. “It’s not surprising that they beat them,” McCall said of the Red Devils topping Seisen and ASIJ. “He has them on a good path. They always seem to do better as the season goes on.”
The other DODEA schools in the D-I tournament are Humphreys, which went 5-5 in Korea’s regular season – losing once to Division II Osan – and Guam High, which plays in the same league as Academy.
Far East Division I Tournament
Monday, Oct. 21-Wednesday, Oct. 23 at Camp Foster, Okinawa.
Participating teams – American School In Japan Mustangs, Seisen Phoenix, Nile C. Kinnick Red Devils, Kadena Panthers, Kubasaki Dragons, Humphreys Blackhawks, Guam High Panthers, Academy of Our Lady of Guam Cougars
Returning All-Tournament players — AOLG: Ariana Cruz (reigning Most Valuable Player), Natasha Kelly, Mercedes Mendiola-Cruz, Hinegi San Nicolas; ASIJ: Emi Matsumoto; Kubasaki: Yuri Biggins; Kadena: Liza Young; Seisen: Yuna Lee.
Schedule
Monday’s matches
Round-robin
AOLG vs. Kinnick, 9 a.m.
ASIJ vs. Humphreys, 9 a.m.
Seisen vs. Kadena, 9 a.m.
Kubasaki vs. Guam High, 10:15 a.m.
AOLG vs. Seisen, 10:15 a.m.
Kadena vs. Kinnick, 10:15 a.m.
Humphreys vs. Kubasaki, 1 p.m.
Kadena vs. AOLG, 1 p.m.
Kinnick vs. Seisen, 1 p.m.
Kadena vs. Humphreys, 2:30 p.m.
Kubasaki vs. Kinnick, 2:30 p.m.
Guam High vs. ASIJ, 2:30 p.m.
Seisen vs. Guam High, 4 p.m.
AOLG vs. Humphreys, 4 p.m.
ASIJ vs. Kubasaki, 4 p.m.
Tuesday’s matches
Round-robin
Seisen vs. Kubasaki, 9 a.m.
Kinnick vs. Guam High, 9 a.m.
Kadena vs. ASIJ, 9 a.m.
Humphreys vs. Guam High, 10:15 a.m.
Kadena vs. Kubasaki, 10:15 a.m.
ASIJ vs. Seisen, 10:15 a.m.
ASIJ vs. Kinnick, 1 p.m.
Humphreys vs. Seisen, 1 p.m.
Guam High vs. AOLG, 1 p.m.
Kubasaki vs. AOLG, 2:30 p.m.
Guam High vs. Kadena, 2:30 p.m.
Humphreys vs. Kinnick, 2:30 p.m.
AOLG vs. ASIJ, 4 p.m.
Wednesday’s matches
Single-elimination
1 vs. 8, 9 a.m.
4 vs. 5, 9 a.m.
2 vs. 7, 9 a.m.
3 vs. 6, 11 a.m.
Consolation
1-8 loser vs. 4-5 loser, 11 a.m.
2-7 loser vs. 3-6 loser, 1 p.m.
Semifinals
1-8 winner vs. 4-5 winner, 1 p.m.
2-7 winner vs. 3-6 winner, 1 p.m.
Fifth
Consolation winners, 3 p.m.
Third
Semifinal losers, 3 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 5 p.m.
