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Shakey’s V-League Week #3 and #4 Recognitions

With all the volleyball happening over the last couple of weeks—UAAP Beach Volleyball, the AVC Championship and , of course, the Shakey’s V-League (not to mention the celebrated Davao duel between the Manila All-Stars and De La Salle University)—it was difficult to squeeze in the feting of accolades for the deserving performers and squads of the ongoing Shakey’s V-League Open Conference. I mean, the past couple of weeks had volleyball happening almost 24/7. But now that the Power Pinays are on a one-day rest, the Beach Volley tourney is over and there are no scheduled games today (September 18th) at The Arena, I can now recognize those who excelled and awed us over the last two weeks in the country’s premier women’s volleyball league.

After not having a single match that went exceeded three sets since August 27th (Meralco defeated FEU in five-sets then), we had a spate of four clashes that thrilled us by extending to a fourth—and on three occasions, a fifth set over this past week. Two Thai reinforcements made their way back to the league and the debut of “The Phenom” brought additional fireworks to the twilight of the preliminary round.

As we hold our collective breaths for the upcoming quarterfinal round (with the sixth slot still to be contested by PNP and Navy on Friday), let’s look back at some noteworthy performances and achievements over the past two weeks that either made us hoarse—especially me, as one of the league’s broadcasters—or left our mouths agape in awe.

Let’s begin.

BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE AWARD: Alyssa Valdez (Smart-Maynilad)

We all know what she brings to the game, hence her moniker “The Phenom”. But to come from concentrating on “only” beach volleyball for the past few months and all of a sudden being a catalyst in pushing the powerhouse Philippine Army Lady Troopers to five sets is something, well, phenomenal. There were many rumours and much speculation about whether or not Alyssa Valdez would actually even play for the Net Spikers as stories about her not being allowed by Ateneo to play—fearing injury—and that Smart-Maynilad Head Coach Roger Gorayeb’s resignation from the Lady Eagles contingent was to blame for an alleged “rift” between the two. I even wrote that she should be able to play in quarterfinals. Well, she surprised all of us last Sunday when she not only started for the Net Spikers, but unleashed a 28-point bombardment that totally miffed the defenses of the 2011 titlists. The 28 markers notched by “Bagyong Baldo” represented an individual season-high and although Smart-Maynilad went on to lose that contest, it signalled to everyone in the league that not only is Valdez back, but she has reloaded her guns. It will be a joy to watch her continue this torrid pace in the quarterfinals.

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SURPRISE PERFORMANCE AWARD: Phomla Soraya (Cagayan Valley)

When the Rising Suns announced that they would be parading two imports from Thailand, the immediate reaction was they would be showcasing two explosive hitters. After all, it has been a tradition that guest players from Thailand have always packed a wallop on offense. Two of them have even gone on to become league MVPs in Ateneo’s Pheenok Kesinee and San Sebastian/Sandugo’s Jaroensri Bualee. The fans were half-right. Kannika Thipachot is an open-spiker and among the league-leaders in scoring heading into the quarters. But Phomla Soraya has shown that despite a language barrier, she can still be effective as a playmaker. The 21-year-old from Bangkok has used the one language that can universally translate into a positive for the undefeated Cagayan Valley: volleyball. It has been because of her almost flawless setting that Thipachot and skipper Angge Tabaquero are in the top five in points this conference. Spraya has been the focal point of a Rising Suns squad that is looking poised to defend the crown it won in 2012. They’re not the tallest team in the league, but I believe they do have the best setter. And it is surprising that she can’t speak English fluently, yet can orchestrate masterfully.

SECOND STRING STAR AWARD: Rachel Anne Daquis (Philippine Army)

Since her return from a three month layoff in Germany, the former Finals MVP has scored a grand total of four points. There are a lot of second stringers that have done much more damage than that this conference, yet I’m awarding this one to the former FEU captain. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, Rachel Anne Daquis has accepted the role of being a reserve. The addition of Jovelyn Gonzaga and Nene Bautista in the Lady Troopers line-up has eaten into what should have been Daquis’ minutes—and we all know that she needs her minutes to become a major factor. But Daquis, 25, knows that by accepting a reserve role she helps the team win—akin to when former Atlanta Braves star pitcher John Smoltz was tasked to become its closer instead of being part of the starting rotation that featured two other future hall-of-famers in Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. Secondly, she creates an uproar among fans when she finally enters the game. It’s not every day that one of the most popular players in league history is your closer, but that’s the luxury and advantage Army Head Coach Rico de Guzman has in Daquis. When checks-in the fans go wild and when she contributes, she catches attention. It doesn’t take a genius to surmise that Daquis will rejoin the starting line-up soon, but while she comes off the bench, she can be a major contributor for the Lady Troopers—both statistically and intangibly.

ALSO READ: Eye of the Tiger: UST ends Ateneo's reign

OVERACHIEVER AWARD: Joy Cases (Philippine Air Force)

Again, calling one of the most hardworking open-spikers in the league an overachiever could be sacrilegious, but Joy Cases has displayed her steadiness over and above the call of duty. Airwomen Head Coach Clarence Esteban has a host of weapons in his arsenal, but it usually revolves around his three former UST standouts in Judt Caballejo, Maika Ortiz and setting sensation Rhea Dimaculangan. You can throw in the multifaceted Wendy Ann Semana in the mix as well. Cases’ primary role in the team is to give Caballejo a breather when latter is in the backline. But because of her back-to-back 18 point explosions in Air Forces previous two tiffs, Cases has become an unlikely first option for the Airwomen. Cases may not win any awards at season’s end, but her stability and recent greatness has been one of the key factors in the current five game winning streak being experienced by Air Force. And it is because the former Letran/Lyceum lass may not win any accolades at season’s end that I will recognize her efforts here.

HIGHLIGHT MOMENT AWARD: Nene Ybañez-Chavez and Mayi Prochina turn back the hands of time in Navy’s first victory against FEU

These were two of the most feared names in women’s volleyball during the 1980s when the Philippines was racking up trophies on the international front. They showed that the skills they displayed almost three decades ago will never wane as they lent a hand to younger guns Mic-Mic Laborte and Kiteh Rosale in claiming the Lady Sailors’ first triumph of the season in their match up against the Lady Tamaraws almost two weeks ago. Prochina scored eight points and the hulking 6’2” Chavez—the team’s playing coach—fielded herself in during a crucial stretch of the third set when the college students from FEU were poised to make a run. Chavez used her instincts and wit in defusing the rally, en route to seven markers—her highest single game output since returning to the court as a player. Laborte—who was eventually named Player of the Game—was hesitant to be interviewed, citing that the award should have gone to Chavez. While Navy has a very slim chance of winning the championship this season, it was that shining moment of dominance that made me lean towards feting these two legends of the sport here. They’ll be needing that same chutzpah against PNP on Friday for that last quarterfinals slot, but if anyone can get it done, it can be these two iconic volleybelles.

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PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK(S): The “Tropang Power Spikers” (Meralco’s cheering squad)

As I mentioned in a previous article, this group of rabid supporters from the country’s primary electricity company arrives at the venue in a bus that defies time. It looks like a bus straight out of a World War II movie; big, wide, solid and old. Inside, the Tropang Power Spikers are already standing. This is the position they take once they settle inside The Arena. I even commented in a broadcast that they shouldn’t even be charged admission because they don’t even use the seats. The “Tropang Power Spikers” cheer every point, jeer every bad call and remain extremely noisy throughout any Power Spikers match. Win or lose—and they have been through all of them in the Power Spikers’ roller-coaster season so far—they never lose their energy, which is probably the mantra they bring with them as their company is the archipelago’s chief source of energy. Can the Tropang Power Spikers rally their players to more wins in the quarterfinals? That remains to be seen.

THRILLING MATCH AWARD: Cagayan Valley def. PNP—22-25, 29-27, 25-13, 20-25, 15-9 (September 10, 2013)

It was the final match in the prelims for the Rising Suns (6-0) as the bulk of its team would be heading to Thailand for the Asian Championship. The Lady Patrolers (0-3) were just eager to notch its first win of the season. Positioned on opposite sides of the standings’ sprectrum, many expected Cagayan Valley—bolstered by ten national team members and league-leading scorer Thipachot—to just steamroll over PNP; a team that was still in the midst of gelling with its newest acquisition in former Thai national team captain Patcharee Sangmuang. To the surprise of many, Rising Suns Head Coach Nes Pamilar opted to go “all-Filipino” and inserted his supposed “starting six” for Thailand composed of Joy Benito, Chie Saet, Pau Soriano, Wenneth Eulalio, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and skipper Tabaquero with libero Jheck Dionela. PNP took full advantage of no one from Cagayan Valley being able to check Sangmuang as they raced to a big lead in the opener, prompting Pamilar to field in his Thai imports at set’s twilight. But it was too late. PNP snared the opener and looked poised to pull of the upset of the tournament. Thipachot and Soraya played extensive minutes in the next two sets, both captured by the Rising Suns. But in the fourth set, Pamilar once again tinkered with his line-up by starting Soraya at the outside hitter spot while Saet did the playmaking. This backfired against Cagayan Valley again as the Lady Patrolers—through an inspired performance from surprise package Janine Marciano—stole the fourth and sent the match to a fifth set. During the fourth set, however, Pamilar never inserted Thipachot. That would not be the case in the decider. Cagayan Valley went to its full line-up and easily won the set and the match. There were barbs being exchanged between Pamilar and PNP Head Coach Bob Malenab during the entire match—but it was all in jest. Pamilar and Malenab were teammates during FEU’s title runs during the late 1970s and both coaches gave the fans the most thrilling match of the conference so far. Cagayan Valley swept the prelims and will now be the team to beat in the quarterfinals. PNP now has to fight for its life against Navy on Friday.

ALS

OUTSTANDING PLAYER AWARD: Tina Salak (Philippine Army)

It seems hard to believe that a former national team icon could be felled by a health issue, but that’s what happened to this former FEU stalwart prior to their much anticipated match-up against fellow unbeaten Cagayan Valley last September 8th. The Lady Troopers had opened their campaign by winning its first three matches in straight-sets and were looking good to deal Cagayan Valley its first setback of the season. Army also welcomed the return of Daquis, so things were looking good for the Lady Troopers. However, many—including myself—were shocked to see the veteran Caviteña in street clothes during the warm-ups. I later learned that Salak had been advised to skip the match—and a few training sessions after that—to await test results concerning her oversized thyroid; a genetic problem she ignored since her teenage days. The Rising Suns went on to crush Army in straight sets and cast a cloud on the Lady Troopers future in the tournament with Salak’s health issue looming large. However, Salak got temporary—and conditional—clearance to return to volleyball work and Army won its next two matches with her back as the starting setter. Salak may sit out their upcoming final match of the prelims against her former school FEU, but her value on the team is unquestionable. She is the heart and soul of the Lady Troopers. They rise and fall under her leadership. And while a final diagnosis is still not yet available, Salak will continue thrilling fans with her amazing abilities on the floor and probably along the way pick up another championship for her beloved squad. For now, Tina Salak gets my vote for Outstanding Player of the past two weeks.

PHOTO CAPTION OPPORTUNITY:

Sev’s reaction here is priceless. Mozzy looks like she’s already going to Plan B: what if Melissa Gohing doesn’t stop in time? It’s all up to you, guys! In the comments box, just begin your reply with PHOTO CAPTION ANSWER and get frigging creative.

The Friday clash between Navy and PNP will be a championship of sorts. Who going to prevail: the seasoned Lady Sailors or the upstart Lady Patrolers? I guess we’ll all have to find out together at SJA. It’s going to be a great windup to an already riveting conference at the Shakey’s V-League. Let’s get it on.

Follow Noel Zarate on Twitter (@NoelZarate) and email sportztackle@yahoo.com