The Guam men’s volleyball team delivered another impressive performance Friday at the UOG Calvo Field House, defeating Palau in straight sets, 25-12, 25-23, 25-10 to advance to the semifinals of the 2026 Oceania Volleyball Championships.
Guam needed to win to get the #2 seed of Pool A. Now they have the undaunting task of facing Pool B’s top ranked Australia team in the semis on Saturday at 8:15 p.m.
Friday night in front of a big crowd, Guam showcased its intensity throughout the match, dominating the opening set, battling through a competitive second, and closing out the match with a demanding performance in the third.
Set 1
Guam opened the match with Isaac Limtiaco at the service line and immediately set the tone. Behind aggressive serving, a balanced offensive attack, and strong net play, Guam raced to an early 11-3 lead. The front row consistently pressured Palau’s hitters, forcing difficult attacks and several unforced errors.
Defensively, Guam remained disciplined, extending rallies while limiting Palau’s opportunities to gain momentum. Maintaining control from start to finish, Guam didn’t allow Palau to come back into the set and comfortably claimed the opener, 25-12 as Noah Taitano recorded four of his six kills in the opening set.
Set 2
Palau responded with renewed energy in the second set, opening with an ace from Ezekiel Obak. The set quickly turned into a back-and-forth battle as neither team could create much separation. Guam’s Ezekiel Sablan carried the offense with several key swings, helping keep the Islanders within striking distance.
The score was tied at 13-13 as both teams traded points while battling through service and defensive errors. Guam eventually found its rhythm, pulling ahead 21-18 behind timely blocks from Antonio Egurrola that shut down Palau’s attack. Although Palau continued to fight until the final points, Guam held its composure to secure the set, 25-23, and take a two-set lead.
Set 3
Determined to finish the match, Guam came out with intensity in the third set. Limtiaco distributed the offense effectively, consistently finding Sablan and Ethan Alvarez, allowing Guam to jump out to an early 5-0 advantage. Palau struggled to find or create any offensive rhythm, scoring mainly off of Guam’s errors. Guam’s relentless pressure forced Palau to call a timeout with the score being 13-4.
Guam continued to execute on both sides of the ball, stretching the lead to 20-9 with smart shot selection, disciplined defense, and efficient offense. Palau used a second timeout in an attempt to slow Guam’s momentum, but Guam never let up, closing out the set 25-10 to complete the straight-set victory.
Player of the Game
Player of the Game Ezekiel Sablan delivered an outstanding all-around performance, leading Guam with nine kills while also making key defensive plays throughout the match. When asked about how it felt to be out there on court Sablan stated, “Today was definitely one of the funner games playing, an easier team I would say with a nice crowd tonight, so really emphasized the excitement of today’s game.”
Looking towards the next match Sablan said, “what’s next is coming into our next game even harder because we have way bigger blocks, playing against way bigger boys with harder serves so we’re just going to have to lock in a lot harder than we did today.”
Behind Sablan’s game-high nine kills, Ethan Alvarez had eight and Taitano finished with six.
One area Guam will need to fix against Australia will be the service errors after giving up 19 freebies from behind the service line against Palau.
Saturday schedule
9 a.m.: women’s 7th place – Wallis Et Futuna vs. Cook Islands
11:15 p.m.: women’s 5th place – New Caledonia vs. Palau
1:30 p.m.: women’s semifinals – Guam vs. American Samoa
3:45 p.m.: women’s semifinals – Australia vs. Marshall Islands
6 p.m.: men’s semifinals – New Caledonia vs. Wallis Et Futuna
8:15 p.m.: men’s semifinals – Guam vs. Australia
Sunday schedule
9 a.m.: men’s 7th place – American Samoa vs. Cook Islands
11:15 p.m.: men’s 5th place – Papua New Guinea vs. Palau
1:30 p.m.: men’s 3rd place
3:45 p.m.: women’s 3rd place
6 p.m.: women’s finals
8:15 p.m.: men’s finals
