Pacific
Knights retain title with close win over Cobras
Stars and Stripes
October 18, 2025
CAJ's Sakurako Abe tries to hit against King's Mila Nishimura-Reed. (David Shepherd/Special to Stripes)
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan – From the start of the season, Christian Academy Japan’s volleyball team had two goals in mind: Repeat their Far East Division II tournament title after winning the 11th American School In Japan YUJO tournament.
Mission accomplished.
The Knights’ hitting threesome of Sakurako Abe, Gloria Wang and Naya Cummings combined to lead CAJ to its second straight D-II title with a 25-12, 25-21, 26-28, 25-19 triumph over E.J. King on Saturday.
The difference between the CAJ team of this year and a season ago is “these girls really love each other and love to play,” said CAJ athletics director Caleb Cummings, Naya’s father.
“You see it out there in everything they do. Even if they lose games, lose sets, they still care for each other, they say let’s go get the next point. That love is the core of it. They embodied that. It’s wonderful to see.”
King's Mila Nishimura-Reed spikes past CAJ's Gloria Wang. (David Shepherd/Special to Stripes)
CAJ's Sakurako Abe goes up to spike against King's Mila Nishimura-Reed and Madison Welsh. (David Shepherd/Special to Stripes)
Kinig's Aniah Little spikes against CAJ's Annabelle Rudd. (David Shepherd/Special to Stripes)
With the victory, CAJ made it three D-II championships in the last seven years and four since 1999. Counting the Division I tournament titles they won in the 2000s and the 1990s, that gives CAJ eight.
The Knights had won the YUJO tournament final two weeks ago, a year after not playing in that tournament because it was overbooked.
As for the Cobras, they continued a run of near-misses that began two years ago when they lost in the D-II final at Yokota after winning the first set. King finished third in 2024, losing to CAJ in five sets in the semifinal before beating Yokota in three in the third-place match.
“The girls played their hearts out tonight and left it on the court,” King coach and athletics director Ricky Andrew said.
“CAJ is a class team and to beat them, you have to make less mistakes than they do. Tonight, we didn’t accomplish that goal. It wasn’t for lack of effort or want; they just made less mistakes and deserved the win.”
