The Perfect Season: Cagayan Valley makes Shakey’s V-League history, wins Open Conference

(Updated with new pictures)

THE ARENA, San Juan City—The Cagayan Valley Rising Suns became the first team in league history to complete a campaign undefeated as they outlasted an inspired Smart-Maynilad Net Spikers 25-16, 19-25, 25-15, 22-25, 15-7 to win the championship of the Shakey’s V-League Open Conference, before almost seven thousand rabid fans here.

The pressure was on Nes Pamilar and his wards to deliver as a reward to the all out support of Alcala, Cagayan Mayor Criselda Antonio-Pua and practically an entire region pulling for a historic “perfect season”. Pamilar, who had never coached in a finals series in his long tenure as a tactician in the league, finally gave the people of Cagayan Valley the title that had slipped away from them last year when the Rising Suns (then reinforced by stalwarts of the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta under Head Coach Mike Rafael) fell to Sandugo-San Sebastian—ironically also coached by his nemesis in this year’s edition, Roger Gorayeb.

Cagayan Valley not only copped its first ever crown in the country’s premier women’s volleyball league, but also exorcised the ghost of losing to Gorayeb in the second version of this unique format and it also did so without dropping a single match in sixteen total outings—a first in the ten year history of the league.

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But this finals series—despite the 2-0 sweep attained by the Rising Suns—will go down in Shakey’s V-League lore as one of the best championship duels of all-time.

Both tiffs went the full route with the Rising Suns having to dig deep to dispose of the Net Spikers. That was also the case in Game 2 when—after trouncing Smart-Maynilad easily in the first set, Gorayeb made a unique positional change by moving former MVP Din-Din Santiago to the open-hitter slot and moving former Finals MVP Alyssa Valdez to center-spiker. Cagayan Valley had difficulties containing the 6’2” Santiago as her attacks went almost unchallenged due to the superior height she brought to the forefront. The Net Spikers took the second set convincingly.

In the third set, however, Pamilar countered by going to one of the most basic plays in volleyball: the open combination; wherein in all attacks by his star outside hitter Kannika Thipachot went through a combination before being executed. The ploy was so high-percentage that it worked to the hilt and the Rising Suns dominated.

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The fourth set saw a battle of wills as Smart-Maynilad—supported in the game at the bench by Smart Sports chief Christopher “Epok” Quimpo—matched the explosive offense of Cagayan Valley virtually blow by blow with Santiago and Valdez going heads-up against Thipachot and former league MVP Aiza Maizo-Pontillas. But in the twilight of the fourth canto, it was the Rising Suns that opened up a 22-20 lead, inching closer to championship point. Valdez, Santiago and another former league MVP in Thailand’s Pheenok Kesinee took turns bombarding the Rising Suns’ defenses and went on to score the last five points to send the match into a dramatic fifth set anew.

The decider saw the Rising Suns race to an early 8-2 lead and despite a torrid effort by the Net Spikers to bridge the gap, the league’s newly-crowned Best Setter Phomla Soraya did a masterful job of orchestrating the offensive patterns to ensure the win and the title.

Soraya went on to be named Finals MVP as she an unleashed a staggering 53 excellent sets—which actually tied the output of her opposing counterpart (and first conference Finals MVP) Rubie de Leon. Both setters garnered their career highs in the process, but the most important edge went to the 21-year-old Bangkok native as her squad prevailed in the match.

It was a battle of adjustments and inspired performances for both teams.

Cagayan Valley libero Jheck Dionela—who was nursing a high fever in Game 1—came away with 32 “excellents” (21 excellent digs, 11 excellent receptions) which was nowhere near the production churned out by her two-headed counterpart in reigning league Best Digger Melissa Gohing and five-time league Best Digger Lizlee Ann Gata-Pantone, who could only combine for thirty “excellents”. Thipachot led the scoring parade for the Rising Suns with 24 markers backstopped by skipper Angge Tabaquero’s eighteen—most of which came in the middle sets.

For Smart-Maynilad they got a conference-high from Santiago, who led all scorers with 26 points, while Valdez and Kesinee chipped-in thirteen points apiece.

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Perhaps the most glaring statistic that helped insure the triumph for Cagayan Valley was their aggression that forced the Net Spikers into 32 total errors against only 21 for the new titlists. The Rising Suns capitalized on almost every opportunity handed to them on those miscues, especially in the final set when their offense created the separation needed to make history.

The match was shown LIVE to a captive television audience over GMA News TV and viewed by almost ten thousand followers worldwide over the league’s official website’s Live Streaming channel.

Earlier, the Philippine Army also completed its own sweep of its series for the Bronze Medal, needing four sets to defeat the Philippine Air Force, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 25-15 in a match that took almost two hours to complete.

Former league MVP Mary Jean Balse had a stellar showing, contributing in almost all departments as the Lady Troopers replicated their third place finish in 2012, despite losing skipper Joanne Bunag in the first set due to an ankle sprain. Balse, the league’s reigning Best Server, collated fifteen points, three of which came from loaded aces. Former Finals MVP Rachel Anne Daquis led Army in scoring with seventeen markers, while former league MVP Nene Bautista and reigning league MVP Jovelyn Gonzaga added eleven each. The Airwomen were paced by rising star Iari Yongco with a game-high nineteen points and the open-spiker combo of Joy Cases and Judy Caballejo with thirteen and twelve points, respectively.

The league also announced its first ever All-Star Game to be held sometime in the middle of November. The squads—which will have a factor of fan voting—will be coached once again by Pamilar and Gorayeb on opposite ends of the floor, renewing their newfound rivalry. It will be the league’s gift to the undying support shown by its fans for this season and for its ten years of existence. Final details will be made available soon.

Congratulations to Mayor Criselda Antonio-Pua, Coach Nes and all the coaches, staff and players of the Rising Suns! The team is now installed in the annals of Philippines sports history as one of the best ever formed in any sport. An unbeaten season is no mean feat, so soak in the championship as it is very well deserved.

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Also congratulations to Smart-Maynilad for its fantastic run and rise from numerous adversities i.e. lacking players, the Santiago issue, the Valdez-Game 1 incident, etc. Your poise under duress has been a model of professionalism that hopefully many teams emulate.

But, of course, congratulations to the people who have spearheaded the league from day one, such as the Sports Vision Management Group, Inc., led by its Chairman Mauricio “Moying” Martelino, its president Richard “Ricky” Palou and tournament director Tony Boy Liao. Your foresight in uplifting women’s volleyball in the Philippines has borne fruit and we, the fans, have benefited from all your sacrifices and rise from initial obscurity. I believe the league's original visionary, the late former PBA Commissioner Jun Bernardino, is reveling in the success the endeavor has achieved slowly over the years.

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I also want to give a special shout-out to my co-broadcasters in the league this season for making this one of the most memorable sorties yet.

Let’s start with “Tita” Mozzy Ravena—the veteran analyst who never runs out of new anecdotes to share, Noreen Go—who always provides an astute interpretation of what happens (and she always laughs at my jokes), Anne Remulla—who always brings a certain degree of class to the coverage, “Ate” Ivy Remulla—for foregoing playing to rejoin us on the panel, my mentor and good friend Sev Sarmenta—for always bringing something fresh to the broadcast, and, of course, our courtside gals Rheena Villamor, Miakka Lim, Bianca Saldua and the towering AJ Pareja—you’ve been our eyes and ears and have really stepped up during your tenures. Last but not least, my “rookie” partner and Tuesday Date Michele Gumabao—for bringing a new perspective to the broadcast landscape. Your insights have been invaluable and being the youngest in the group, you have also made us all a little better by being on the team.

To all the fans (I’ve gained over five thousand new Twitter followers since the first conference), I salute you for being the most critical, die-hard and passionate I’ve ever encountered in all my years broadcasting and writing about sports. My respect for all of you is beyond words, so let me just say that you guys are phenomenal.

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See you all at the Shakey’s V-League All-Star Game!

BOXSCORES:

Philippine Army def. Philippine Air Force—25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 25-15 (Wins series 2-0 to take the Bronze Medal)

PA—Daquis 17, Balse 15, Bautista 11, Gonzaga 11, Alarca 10, Salak 9, Carolino 4, Nunag (L) 0, Bunag 0, Cruz 0.

PAF—Yongco 19, Cases 13, Caballejo 12, Ortiz 7, de Ramos 4, Semana 2, Dimaculangan 1, Balmaceda (L) 0, Abanto 0, Manzano 0, Pantino 0.

Cagayan Valley def. Smart-Maynilad—25-16, 19-25, 25-15, 25-22, 15-7 (Wins series 2-0 to take Gold Medal)

CV—Thipachot 24, Tabaquero 18, Eulalio 9, Maizo-Pontillas 8, P. Soriano 7, Soraya 6, Benito 1, Pineda 1, Dionela (L) 0, Saet 0, Dawis 0.

SM-M—Santiago 26, Kesinee 13, Valdez 13, Kotruang 8, de Leon 3, Roces 2, C. Soriano 1, Guliman 1, Gohing (L) 0, Gata-Pantone (L) 0, Banaticla 0, Soltones 0, Ferrer 0.

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