The Best Liberos in Shakey’s V-League History
Volleyball has gone through so many reinventions since the game was developed in that YMCA gym in Holyoke, Massachusetts on February 9, 1895 by William G. Morgan. The game today is quicker and more dynamic and many credit that to two things: the institution of the Rally-Pont System (1999) and one player positional addition which was introduced during a press conference that followed the drawing of lots preceding the 1998 World Volleyball Championships in Tokyo, Japan by the president of the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) Dr. Rubén Acosta Hernandez. He called it the “Libero Player” (Rule #8.5 in the FIVB Rulebook 1999-2000 edition).
The original duties and responsibilities of the new position entailed (from the volleyball.org website): Each team has the option to register one specialised defensive player, "Libero" among the final list of 12 players for the whole tournament. He/she is restricted to performing as a back row player and has no right at all to complete an attack hit when the ball is above the height of the top of the net. The Libero may not serve, block or attempt to block. The Libero must wear a different colour shirt from the other members of the team. Substitutions involving a Libero are not counted as regular and their number is unlimited. A Libero cannot take part in normal substitutions and may only enter or leave the game while the ball is out of play and before the whistle for service. It is necessary to have a rally between replacements of two different players involving a Libero. With the previous approval of the first referee, an injured Libero may be substituted during the match by any registered player within the normal line-up list of the score sheet. The designated replacement of a Libero will be limited to performing as a Libero for the rest of the match and the subsequent matches. Nevertheless, this player will be allowed to be registered again in the normal line-up of later matches once the initially registered Libero is officially re-instituted. No other player will be authorised to perform as a Libero and in the case of further injury of the originally registered Libero, he/she will be replaced by the same player under the same conditions as stated in previous points.
When the Shakey’s V-League opened shop in 2004, the big girls up front such as Mary Jean Balse, Cherry Rose Rivera-Macatangay and Maureen Penetrante immediately stole the limelight as their vicious attacks were what a new generation of volleyball fans flocked to the venues to witness. Later on, the more diminutive spikers in Manilla Santos, Bangladesh Pantaleon and Angela Benting became the headliners while, with the advent of more television coverage, the beauty and brawn combo of such gifted ladies like Rachel Anne Daquis, Jed Montero and Gretchen Ho began attracting a new breed of audiences.
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But perhaps the Liberos of the league have not only been the most unsung heroes, but also the most unnoticed figures of them all.
Of course, the viewers gasp in awe when a libero makes an incredible dive for a ball that was almost surely going hit the floor, but they will have a louder applause once the rally ends with either a thunderous spike from someone like Nene Bautista or a heart-stopping rejection from someone like Mic-Mic Laborte.
The website www.volleyball.about.com defines the libero as having been added to the game to “foster more digs and rallies and to make the game more exciting.”
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The Shakey’s V-League has seen its share of exceptional defensive specialists who made sure their uniform was almost one with the ground. Whether diving for a pancake-dig or tracking down an errant reception, the liberos have truly changed the game and have become among the catalysts in the upswing of rabid fans in the sport. After conducting a poll among volleyball coaches, players and, of course, fans, sportZtackle has come up with a list of six (6) of the the all-time greatest in this very thankless position. Let’s start off with the Honorable Mentions who could have easily cracked the summit:
Honorable Mentions:
Margarita Pepito (SSC-R)—Marge was a libero in sheep’s clothing before becoming a full-time libero for the Lady Stags. She holds the distinction of winning the Best Digger (2006) and Best Receiver (2009) awards three years apart.
Genelyn Alemania (FEU)—Mavi was actually one of the first liberos to draw attention because she was not only adept at her floor defense, but also because of her stunningly good looks. She was a former recipient of the league’s Best Receiver plum in 2005.
Angelica Vasquez (AdU)—most of the players I interviewed were raving about this petite lass who many called “baby libero”. Honestly, Angel looked like a grade-school pupil when she was playing, but she could dive for a ball and handle almost any hard shot. She was the 2010 2nd conference Best Digger.
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…and now, the Top Six of ALL-TIME in the Shakey's V-League:
6. Angelique Beatrice Dionela (UPHSD/Cagayan Valley Rising Suns)—Having copped the Athlete of the Year award for her entire school upon her graduation this year solidified Jheck-Jheck’s stature as one of the best in her position in the present NCAA crop. Not only is this Pasig City native a two-time league Best Digger awardee in 2012, but she also a two-time Best Digger recipient in the NCAA as well as a Best Receiver just last season. Her headiness on the floor also helped the Lady Altas bag back-to-back NCAA Women’s Volleyball crowns. Not bad for someone barely five feet tall.
5. Dennise Michelle Lazaro (AdMU)—for the libero position, Den-Den is quite tall at 5’5”, yet she effortlessly can sprint from one zone to another and despite being dependent on high-powered eyeglasses when off the court, she has a knack for tracking down an opponent’s attack. Her presence on the court not only allows setter Jem Ferrer to conduct the offense correctly, but has also led to Ateneo winning two league titles and two Finals appearances in the UAAP. Den-Den has won the league’s Best Receiver accolade and the Best Digger in the same caledar year (2011). She also recently was selected to be in Gatorade’s “G Rising Stars” team; an enormous achievement for someone who considers herself a “full-time procrastinator”.
4. Jennilyn Reyes (NU)—she has defined the position today. Poised like a feline about to spring before an opponent’s serve, Jen has been one of the vital cogs in NU’s sudden rise from obscurity over the past few years. This Marilao, Bulacan product is the present league leader in the Receiving and Digging categories—by a mile. She will surely add at least one more to her trophies for Best Digger in 2011 and Best Receiver in 2012. She also scored a personal grand slam in the UAAP last season by winning recognitions for both skills, adding to her 2011 win for Best Digger. But, of course, a league championship this tenth season should be her ultimate goal.
3. Mary Jane Pepito (SSC-R)—After FEU’s Alemania, the entrance of this Ernesto Rondon High School phenom in 2007 quickly earned her the nickname “Elastic Girl”. But more than her exploits as San Sebastian’s top floor patroller, MJ also brought to the league a touch of glamour as her movie-star looks made her one of the crowd darlings of the league. And when the droves did come to catch a glimpse of this Quezon City lass, they were treated to a vast array of heroic digs, near impossible saves and a style of defense all her own. MJ dominated the 2007 and 2008 season, winning the Best Digger plum as a rookie before taking down three consecutive Best Receiver awards right after. After personal choices cut short her career, she made one last comeback in 2012 and showed that she could still get the job done for the Lady Stags in helping them attain a third place finish in the first conference.
2. Sharmaine Miles Peñano (DLSU)—this is the only person on the list that I did not get a chance to witness, but ALL the players I asked (even the liberos themselves) consider this league pioneer as among the elite in the position. Stories of Sher not only getting involved in gravity-defying dives to keep a rally going for the Lady Spikers in the early days of the league, but also of the swagger she brought that either intimated opponents or made them over-exert to humiliate her—which indirectly led to La Salle capturing three straight league titles in four Finals appearances from 2004-2006. Sher was also the first to be feted with the league’s Best Digger accolade (which she won three straight times) and also took home the league’s Best Receiver award in 2006. She was also part of three consecutive UAAP championships with the Lady Spikers and many say if the UAAP special awards were handed out during her time, she would have been a cinch to win the skill trophies for receiving and digging.
1. Lizlee Ann Gata (AdU)—emerging as the little sister of one of the Adamson spikers when she joined the team as its libero in 2006, not very many would have predicted that this skinny kid would turn out to be a game-changer, not only for the Lady Falcons but for Philippine volleyball in general. Not blessed with the agility and speed of many on this list, “Tatan” (her real nickname) possessed what volleyball analyst and basketball coach Ronnie Magsanoc once explained to me as “the ability to process information instantly”. Magsanoc even compared the skill-set of Gata to that of legends such as Larry Bird, former Mexican national goalkeeper Jorge Campos and badminton great Susi Susanti. For those fans who were able to experience her on the court, you’d hardly argue with Coach Ronnie on this one. This Bicolana from Sorsogon hardly broke a sweat keeping rallies alive and she did it with such a calm demeanour that it appeared she was Trinity in The Matrix. Her list of achievements actually speaks for itself: five-time league Best Digger (2007-2010), league’s Best Receiver (2008) and a member of two championship squads that made four finals appearances (once as an assistant coach and libero trainer to Vasquez). We’re not even counting the three UAAP Best Digger and one UAAP Best Receiver awards. Today, Tatan works at PLDT, but still causes havoc on the volleyball courts during the company’s inter-office sportsfests. The numerous accolades, votes from the interview subjects and her redefinition of the position has propelled her to the pinnacle of this “prestigious” list.
Naturally, many will object to the order of this list and a lot for you will question the exclusion of notable liberos such as La Salle’s Melissa Gohing (who had a successful collegiate career but lacked the necessary exposure in the Shakey’s V-League), Ateneo’s Stephanie Gabriel (who won the 2009 2nd conference Best Digger award) and maybe current ones such as FEU’s Tin Agno (UAAP Season 74 Best Digger), UP’s dynamo Princess Gaiser (no SVL stints) and San Sebastian’s Mae Crisostomo (she’ll get there one day). Also those from yesteryears such as Ateneo’s Charlie Tan, dubbed by many as “Ang Babaeng Turumpo (The Lady Spinning Top)”, Patricia Siatan-Torres of the Philippine Army who was an icon when the position first came into play and maybe even Fil-Swiss sensation Jennifer Salgado (whose injuries prevented her from blossoming in the league).
There have been many liberos who have graced the league, but only a few made a lasting imprint. In the next decade, the Shakey’s V-League will discover more talent and put more of these up-and-comers on the proverbial Philippine volleyball map. Maybe the next great libero is reading this now. That would indeed be an honor.
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It’s also fitting to note that two of the greatest liberos I installed in the top six will be going head-to-head for the first conference championship which begins on Thursday, May 23 at the MOA Arena. So good luck to Jen Reyes and Den-Den Lazaro and may you both mop the floor with your uniforms all series long. Your teams are going to need it.
See you at the games.
Follow Noel Zarate on Twitter (@NoelZarate)
