Pilipa‘a 18 boys advance at nationals

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The Pilipa‘a 18’s finished Day 2 of the 2014 USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior National Championship with a 2-1 record Sunday.

The Pilipa‘a 18’s finished Day 2 of the 2014 USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior National Championship with a 2-1 record Sunday.

The national event is being played at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Pilipa‘a is still in contention for the gold medal in the Club Division heading into Monday’s action.

Pilipa‘a began Sunday with a 25-21, 25-19 win over 35th seeded Diablo Green 18-2 of Northern California. The Big Islanders then overcome a slow start to earn a 22-25, 25-23, 15-9 win over 20th seeded SG Elite 18 of Southern California. Pilipa’a fell to second-seeded OCVC 18 Hurley 25-23, 21-25, 15-11 in the its final match.

“I’m proud of how these boys have come together in the spirit of Pilipa‘a,” Pilipa’a head coach Ecko Osorio said. “They continue to improve in each match that we play. We’re not a big team, but we play with a lot of heart and play together which makes us a dangerous team in this tournament.”

Pilipa‘a faces SJVC 18 Under Fernando of Puerto Rico at 10 a.m. HST Monday in a rematch with its Day 1 rival, followed by AZ Fear 18 White of Arizona at 11 a.m. HST.