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05/20/25 - It was an early graduation gift for the seniors of Saipan International School, including team captain Casey Chambers, as SIS dethroned the three-time reigning boys high school volleyball champions, Marianas High School, in a heart-stopping five-set championship thriller on an electric Friday night to remember at a jam-packed and raucous Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
With ears ringing from the loud cheers, eyes stung by sweat, and nerves fueled by adrenaline, the Geckos catapulted to the championship after a down-to-the-wire battle with a formidable Dolphins team.
The Geckos had a one-set advantage after clinching the top spot in the playoffs and just needed to win two straight sets to claim the title. But everyone anticipated a battle for the ages, as MHS had gone undefeated in the regular season and had won three straight championships.
MHS fought hard for a comeback and secured the second set after much back-and-forth action, 23-21. The set was tied at 20 after hard-hit kills and impenetrable blocks at the net from both sides, but MHS pulled away by scoring the final two points off aces from K.C. Nuyles.
SIS then regained their composure and exploded into the third set with unhittable, well-placed kills from Omari Joab, complemented by strong blocks from Kyle Kramer and Theo Joab. Early in the set, SIS held a commanding 8-1 lead. But MHS wasn’t out of the fight yet. They clawed their way back with soft touches at the net and precise ball placement, catching SIS off guard.
Jerome Manzon’s high-flying kills added to the momentum. The Dolphins swam back into contention, making it an 11-7 game. But from there, SIS regrouped and surged ahead, eventually taking the set 21-16.
Now, all the Geckos had to do was win the fourth set to seal the title. However, MHS had more to prove and plenty of fight left. It was a mad scramble to 21 points, with MHS jumping ahead 8-3. Long rallies followed, and MHS pushed the match to a deciding fifth set with a 21-17 win.
In the final battle for it all, the gym shook harder than ever with cheers from both sides—victory for either team was within reach. Both teams had everything on the line: the championship legacy for MHS, and bragging rights for SIS as they aimed to dethrone a volleyball powerhouse.
SIS jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the first-to-15 final set. Just when SIS seemed to have a clear path to the title, momentum shifted. MHS’s Jasper Hall stepped up, serving aces that brought the score to 7-6.
But the SIS team, led by Chambers, regrouped and fought back with ferocity. Their defense saved crucial points, and they capitalized on MHS’ errors. Their lead grew—11-7, then 12-8, and 13-9. A now frantic MHS squad couldn’t stop the bleeding, and SIS closed it out with the final two points delivered by Kramer.
Afterwards, SIS coaches Mili Saiki and new coach Nak Nakashima were interviewed. Saiki said, of their title, “This is a dream come true. SIS has always been a volleyball powerhouse but we haven’t gotten this satisfaction in many, many years. But today, we had it and it was very hard work for all the kids. Nak has been an amazing leader as a coach and he has taken the kids to this championship.”
Nakashima, who also coaches the volleyball national team, said of their strategy this season, “it was all about team work and getting them together. I watched them play from when they were sophomores and now they’re seniors and I would say, they deserve it. They worked hard and I was just there to mentor them and guide them through the volleyball season—they did it themselves.”
The team was made up of 10 seniors who graduated the day after the championship night. With that, Saiki said, “we are rebuilding and hopefully we will work hard to get here again.”
For Chambers, the team captain, he said, “It’s been 10 years plus so shoutout to our headmaster Dr. Ron [Snyder]. It was his last day and so it was bigger than volleyball… going into the game, it was against MHS. They’ve been to the championships how many times—they’re a championship team and they’re very, very good every year. They’re undefeated. During the playoffs in the semifinals, that was the first time we beat them—actually the first time they got a loss in a couple years so just the feeling of winning the championship against them, it’s a great feeling.”
"it was all about team work and getting them together. I watched them play from when they were sophomores and now they’re seniors and I would say, they deserve it."
He then said, “shoutout to my teammates. Without them, we wouldn’t have gotten this and especially shoutout to coach Nak. This is his first time coaching us and we appreciate all the hard work he put in… And shoutout out to Ms. Mili. She’s done so much work for us outside of the court—not only today, but in the past years. She’s always there for us. Shoutout to everyone else, this is not only for the team, this is for all the SIS people.”
Lastly, to Snyder and Kim Church, “This is for you. We love you guys and have a safe retirement, and we’re always going to miss you guys.”
Notably, four SIS players are on the volleyball national team that is competing in the upcoming Pacific Mini Games. They are Omari Joab, Will Sosa, Casey Chambers, and Sui Yi.
By Leigh Gases
View more photos here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16Ngwst3wX/
"…this is not only for the team, this is for all the SIS people.”
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