Starting them young in the Northern Marianas Islands
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The Northern Marianas Islands also hosted the sub-zonal phase of the AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Cup in 2011 | Saipan, Northern Marianas Islands, November 23, 2012 – Young, up-and-coming volleyball players of the Northern Marianas Islands had an opportunity to compete at the Under-13 and Under-18 championships hosted by the Northern Marianas Islands Volleyball Association (NMIVA) last weekend.
Ten teams made up the Under-13 division with team Go Pro taking the title. Team Hurley, beat 14 other teams to claim the top spot in the Under-18 division. The training tournament featured special ground rules to encourage players to use the skills learnt at weekly practice sessions. Game point for all divisions was set at 15 with a “must win by two” rule in effect.
Ground rules for the Under-13 division included awarding a bonus point to teams that score on a play using a bump or hand-set leading to a spike, in addition to receiving a second opportunity upon attempting an over hand serve.
A point was credited on a play in order to receive the extra point and a second serve was only awarded if the first sailed out of bounds or into the net. Aside from the second service opportunity, the same rules applied in the Under-18 division.
Notably, all teams were required to have at least one female player remaining on the court at all times.
These free tournaments serve as a platform for the youngsters to put their skills to the test in a competitive setting. Another event is slated for next month.
NMIVA's youth training practices are open to anyone at no cost.
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