Philippine Super Liga Day #4 recognitions
When Petron walked onto the court to warm-up yesterday (July 14) prior to their match against Bingo Milyonaryo, they looked focused, business-like and a little nervous. Bingo Mlyonaryo, on the other hand, were loose, playful and still riding the wave of confidence after finally barging into the win column in their recent assignment against Cignal HD. The first set showed that the Puffins were more than ready to dispatch the young Blaze Spikers as they rode roughshod over what appeared to be a hapless Petron squad via a 25-18 score-line. However, something ignited in the Blaze Spikers after that that made most of the so-called “experts” scratch their heads when Petron proceeded to do their own dismantling of the Puffins over the next three sets.
“I thought it would be a white wash (in favour of Bingo Milyonaryo),” one observer said after the game. “It didn’t look like Petron had the tools to make it work, but they sure proved me wrong.”
Such has been the theme of the ongoing Philippine Super Liga (PSL) Invitational tournament that no one is willing to wager on a winner anymore.
PLDT MyDSL took the TMS-Philippine Army to five sets before folding in the end. Cagayan Valley defeated the Lady Troopers in five sets on opening day—if you know your volleyball, you’d say that that was a major fluke. Then Cignal HD then dealt the Rising Suns their first loss of the season—in straight sets, after the HD Spikers had lost to the Puffins a mere days before. Nobody—except the Blaze Spikers faithful—gave Petron a ghost of a chance against Bingo Milyonaryo, but it happened. No team is safe, even the mighty TMS-Philippine Army. Any team can win.
Come Wednesday, there could be no more underdogs or favourites heading into the final triple-header of the preliminaries. That’s what is so beautiful about women’s volleyball; it’s so unpredictable.
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The one thing that is probably constant is this awards-giving body about to embark on another feting of deserving folk from Day #4 of the PSL. Let’s get it on.
BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Lou Ann Latigay—PLDT MyDSL
Everybody is now making her sore shoulder an excuse for her not churning out MVP-type numbers like she used to do in both the Shakey’s V-League and the NCAA (where she was adjudged as an MVP in both leagues). Well, Latigay bucked that in the five-set loss to the TMS-Philippine Army; despite numerous dates with the ice pack during breaks. Latigay gave her best performance of the season, finishing with seventeen points on 16/50 attacks—indicating a rise in the degree of aggression for the former San Sebastian Lady Stag. Her prolific outing almost got the victory for the Speed Boosters, but the Lady Troopers just held it together in the fifth set. Let’s see if Lou Ann can continue the upsurge when they close the preliminaries against Cignal on Wednesday.
SURPRISE PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: the ENTIRE Cagayan Valley Rising Suns team
Usually we get surprised by someone stepping up. Yesterday, we got surprised by an entire team stepping down. Cagayan Valley not only got dealt their first defeat of the tournament against an inspired Cignal HD squad, but they also registered the lowest point total by a team, thus far, in the league by coming up with only 61 total in the straight sets loss against the HD Spikers, eclipsing the 62 tallied by Petron in their opening day loss against the same Cignal team. No one scored in double-figures, with Joy Cases and Sandra de los Santos top scoring with a mere eight markers each. The offense could not be executed as Wendy Semana also struggled in setting, while Head Coach Nes Pamilar began losing his temper towards the twilight of the match. It was a case of everything not clicking at just the wrong time for the Rising Suns. They need to pick up the pieces as their final first round tiff against Petron this Wednesday could spell the difference between making it to the top two or fighting for their lives in the quarterfinals.
SECOND STRING STAR OF THE DAY: Fille Cainglet—Petron
She failed to score for the first time in her career in the loss against the TMS-Philippine Army—even if she played only one set. Against Bingo Milyonaryo, Cainglet once again came off the bench to spell Judy Ann Caballejo in the second set but then began to weave the magic that has endeared her to Ateneo fans worldwide. The former Lady Eagles captain proceeded to place the ball in spots where the Puffins’ defenses were deficient. In fact, Cainglet nailed 15/41 attacks; the most number of attempts she’s had all tournament long. Not only did Cainglet come away with a season-high 18 points, but was also instrumental in claiming the triumph for Petron.
OVERACHIEVER OF THE DAY: Michelle Carolino—TMS-Philippine Army
What many people may not know about this former Letran Lady Knight is that she actually has a severe case of scoliosis and has continued to play through the pain of that affliction throughout her entire athletic career—which spans a multitude of stints on the national team as well as being invited as guest player numerous times in the Shakey’s V-League. Coming into the PSL Invitational, Carolino has gone through the flu and is also nursing a leg injury that has hampered her usually high-octane game. But when push comes to shove, the fiercest competitors will find a way to rise above any hindrances and that what this Batangas-native did in the TMS-Philippine Army’s five-set victory over PLDT MyDSL. Carolino attempted a season-high 51 spike attempts en route to 16 connections. Not a high percentage, but it was still a yeoman’s effort as at several junctures of the match the Lady Troopers became embattled by the upset-conscious Speed Boosters. Carolino was a catalyst in quelling all the uprisings by the opponent and looks like she is on a roll coming into the clash against Bingo Milyonaryo to close out the preliminaries.
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DNP-CD WONDER OF THE DAY: (almost) Ivy Remulla—Bingo Milyonaryo
Well, just to make it clear, Ivy did play—so she wasn’t really a DNP-CD. However, she only played about three minutes at the start of the fourth set in the loss to Petron. She went up for a block attempt and wasn’t involved in the next play, then was promptly replaced by Mic-Mic Laborte and never came back. Remulla is the captain of the squad and has had a number of notable performances in her stints on the floor, but for some reason Puffins’ Head Coach Ronald Dulay elected to keep her on the bench. Bingo Milyonaryo needs all the help they can get as their final assignment of the preliminaries is against the TMS-Philippine Army. Remulla’s height could be a factor in that upcoming encounter.
TRIVIA OF THE DAY: 1st two injuries of the tournament happened in Day #4
Stephanie Mercado of Bingo Milyonaryo and Sha-Sha Siatan-Torres both had to leave the game due to their unfortunate injuries. Ironically, both players left towards the end of their respective matches with Mercado going down with an ankle sprain at the tail-end of the fourth set in the loss to Petron while Torres exited during the fifth of the Lady Troopers’ win against PLDT MyDSL. According to reports from their camps, Mercado has been advised to rest—at least for the final game of the preliminaries, but Torres could be lost for the season as her lingering knee injury was allegedly aggravated in that match. It is our hope, of course, that both ladies make a full recovery, but it is also our hope that these be the last such injuries in the tournament. There were no incidents that required someone to leave the game since the league opened, yet in one day two of them happened. Let’s hope those two are the last ones.
HIGHLIGHT MOMENT OF THE DAY: The Fille Cainglet-Melissa Gohing reunion
I opened my last article talking about this reunion. I think I expounded on it enough there, but it was still quite a highlight. I’m actually watching the replay of the games yesterday on Solar Sports as I’m writing this and I still can’t help but smile that these two players not only had successful college careers but both eventually emerged as “legends” of the game during their five-year tenure apart. The friendship never went away, though, and now they can now share a mission again like they did when they conquered the high-school volleyball scene as teammates before.
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PLAYER OF THE DAY: Rhea Dimaculangan—Petron
We usually like seeing offense being generated by one person. Venus Bernal is averaging an astonishing 18.5 points per game in four matches she’s seen action in, spiked that 24 point outing she had against Cagayan Valley, which is still the league record for most points scored in a match. But I personally like seeing non-scoring personnel excel and fete them. I did that in the first edition of these accolades to Rising Suns libero Jheck Dionela and today I will just laud the brilliant showing of “DMac”. The former UAAP Finals MVP was not present in their initial victory over PLDT MyDSL due to a retreat and arrived late for the match against the TMS-Philippine Army—coming from that retreat. However, she was in form against Bingo Milyonaryo; responsible for all 51 of Petron’s excellent sets and was instrumental in feeding Cainglet and the others in that “unlikely” win against the more veteran Puffins. The 51 excellent sets might even be a career-high. If DMac continues at this pace, then Cagayan Valley will have its hands full trying to stop a phalanx of attackers from this Petron squad on Wednesday. DMac is on a roll.
MATCH OF THE DAY: TMS-Philippine Army def. PLDT MyDSL (5 sets)
It still boggles my mind why most of the best matches of the day happen when the television cameras are off. The third match of Day #4 was supposed to be walk in the park for the resurgent TMS-Philippine Army. After all, PLDT MyDSL is coming off two straight four set loses and were up against the Lady Troopers who had dispatched their last two foes. When the Lady Troopers manhandled the Speed Boosters 25-14, many anticipated a short match. Then Latigay began becoming aggressive, then Pau Soriano started to infiltrate the TMS-Philippine Army net defenses, then Cha Moralde began picking apart the small holes in the back row. Before you knew it, the match had gone on for over two hours and it took everything that the Lady Troopers had to dispose of the spirited onslaught of the Speed Boosters. It was a virtual battle of wills. Only the veteran-smarts of the TMS-Philippine Army allowed them to escape with the win. The Lady Troopers showed more poise in the end game, and that spelled the difference in that long, harrowing match. PLDT MyDSL, though, picked up more than a few fans after that amazing showing.
PHOTO CAPTION OPPORTUNITY OF THE DAY
It’s not usual that we see a shot of Cagayan Valley libero Jheck Dionela looking as if she’s at odds with herself. Usually, she photographs very well. Now this is your opportunity to make the most of this chance to caption this shot. In the comments box, just begin your message with PHOTO CAPTION ANSWER and get creative.
See you on Wednesday at the PhilSports Arena; the final day of the PSL Invitational preliminaries.
Follow Noel Zarate on Twitter (@NoelZarate) and email sportztackle@yahoo.com
