The Guam Women’s National Team kept its medal hopes alive Friday night, defeating Palau in straight sets, 25-6, 25-14, 25-22, on the fifth day of the 2026 Oceania Volleyball Championships at the UOG Calvo Field House.
Entering the match with a 1-1 record in Pool A, Guam needed a convincing victory to remain in contention for the semifinals. The hosts responded with their most complete performance of the tournament, dominating the opening two sets before overcoming a determined Palau rally in the third to complete the sweep.
Guam garnered the top seed despite having a 2-1 record along with the Marshall Islands and Palau. By virtue of Friday’s match, however, Guam gets the 1-seed while RMI gets the 2-seed and Palau gets sent to the 5th place game.
Set 1
With their tournament hopes on the line, Guam wasted little time taking control.
Faith Piper led the offensive charge with powerful swings from the outside while setter Manea Camacho efficiently distributed the ball, keeping Palau’s defense out of sync. Guam controlled every phase of the game, combining aggressive serving, disciplined defense, and efficient attacking to race away with the opening set.
Palau struggled to establish any offensive rhythm as frustration began to mount, allowing Guam to cruise to a commanding 25-6 victory.
Set 2
Palau responded with much more energy in the second set, putting together longer rallies and showing improved consistency on both sides of the net.
Despite the stronger effort, Guam continued to rely on balanced contributions throughout the lineup. Piper remained the focal point offensively while Camacho orchestrated the attack with composed decision-making. Kaelia Borja controlled the net with timely blocks, and Keiviann Susuico provided relentless hustle and court coverage alongside Danica Ramirez, who repeatedly kept rallies alive with quick defensive reactions as this set brought Guam’s need to react quickly to Palau’s sudden burst of energy behind their attacks.
Palau found success behind the efforts of M. Charles, whose serving and powerful attacks generated several of the visitors’ biggest points, but Guam’s depth ultimately proved too much as the Islanders secured the second set, 25-14, to move within one set of victory.
Set 3
Looking to finish the match, Guam stepped onto the court appearing poised and ready for another comfortable set before they were hit with Palau’s refusal to give in easily.
The two teams were trading points throughout the first half of Set 3, with Palau taking a narrow lead with the score at 14-15 midway through the set. Guam’s aggressive approach began producing unforced errors as the home side appeared to become overly eager to force the match to a close.
Following a timeout, Guam settled back into its rhythm.
Susuico’s steady play helped stabilize the team while Guam returned to the disciplined volleyball that carried it through the opening two sets. The hosts quickly turned the momentum around, building an 18-15 advantage before Palau answered with a timeout of their own.
Guam never relinquished control after that stretch, closing out the third set 25-22 to secure the straight-set victory and look forward to learning their placement for the semifinal rounds.
Players of the Game
Players of the Game Faith Piper and Keiviann Susuico credited the team’s ability to reset mentally following their previous loss and embrace the urgency of Friday’s must-win match.
“I was doing precalculations, so I knew we had to go (win the sets) 3-0, but I was just encouraging everybody, hoping that we get that win … and we did, so I’m really proud of us that we were able to connect on that … and represent our island,” Susuico said.
Piper beamed in her follow-up, commenting on how the team’s mindset entering the match made all the difference.
“For me, at least, I like to … keep it like a blank slate. Coming in, I knew we had a rough game two days ago (against RMI), so I knew we had to reset. I came in with a whole new attitude. [The team and I] talked together, we went over everything—talked about the game and how we could do better—and just came out with a whole different attitude,” Piper said.
Although Guam dominated the opening two sets, both players acknowledged the challenge Palau presented in the third.
“It was nerve wracking. You can come into a game and win the first couple sets playing really, really well, and then you kind of get a little comfortable, and I think that’s what happened with us—we got a little bit comfortable. At the end of the day, we knew we had to get the job done,” Piper said.
Susuico shared her thoughts on the team’s focus, especially with supporting one another rather than worrying about the scoreboard.
“I’m never really looking at the score in the game. It’s really just doing the best in the time that you’re in. Just always support each other no matter what—down or up, we always have to be there for each other because that’s really how you’re ultimately going to win the game.”
Looking ahead
The victory advanced Guam into Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. semifinal against American Samoa, where Guahan’s islanders will look to continue their late tournament surge.
“We’re really hyped up, even though we’re nervous, but adrenaline will kick in—it’ll give us the things that we need to win. We can definitely make podium, so I believe that if we work hard enough and keep talking to each other, then we’ll make it there,” Susuico said.
Piper echoed that confidence as Guam prepares for their biggest match of the tournament thus far.
“I’m excited! Like I said, we came in with a whole different attitude. We had this attitude at the first game, so I think we just have to follow that through. Stay true to who we are. Play our own game. Don’t let too much noise get in our way, and with that I think we can really take it far.”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
