Philippine Super Liga Invitationals final set of recognitions

And so it ends, for now.

This was a three week spectacle that enthralled fans and gave the world a view of the thriving volleyball scene in the archipelago. The Philippine Super Liga (PSL) raised the ante in the sport and now that bigger challenge is how to top the exceptional success of the initial sortie. The upcoming PSL Open aims to do that with reportedly at least four more teams in the fold to join the league this October.

There will be marked improvements in all fronts and the league is working closely with official broadcaster Solar Sports to make that happen. The surprising thing about the PSL’s inaugural tournament is it had very few birth pains.

“This has been the most harrowing three weeks of my life,” PSL Commissioner Dr. Ian Laurel told me after the championship match. “But it was worth every minute of it.”

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With the championship claimed by the TMS-Philippine Army and the massive support received by the league from its rabid fans, let’s fete—for the last time this tournament—the top performers from the final day of competition of the PSL Invitational; three weeks of bliss for all who love women’s volleyball.

BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Pau Soriano—PLDT MyDSL

The league’s scoring title was in the balance at this point. Cignal’s Venus Bernal enjoyed a slight edge over Soriano and one of the two needed to deliver a splendid performance to cop the accolade. Bernal scored fifteen in the semifinal match against Petron and the consensus was if Soriano could deliver a “breakout” game, then the recogition would be hers. Pau didn’t know this. Yet she erupted for a league record-tying 24 points in the consolation match and awed everyone in the process. It was indeed a breakout game, and it also netted the Speed Boosters the victory.

SURPRISE PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Liza de Ramos—Cagayan Valley

Veterans always find a way to step up when their teams need them the most and on the Cagayan Valley roster, one of the most senior happens to be this former Letran stalwart. De Ramos became the Rising Suns’ rock at the front line; turning back shots and helping open spikers Joy Cases and Joy Benito get the job done against Petron. Things began clicking in the second set and even in the extremely close battle during the third. Cagayan Valley eventually ran out of fuel in the fourth set, but de Ramos’ surprise performance deserves much respect.

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SECOND STRING STAR OF THE DAY: Charo Soriano—Petron

It wasn’t the points that Charo provided that compelled me to give her this recognition, but it was the mere fact she skipped valuable time with her family to come back and help her surrogate sisters. She had already declared after helping Petron win their quarterfinal tiff against Bingo Milyonaryo that that would be her final appearance in the PSL, owing to that vacation in Bali, Indonesia that her family had planned months before. Many of her fans were sad to see her go and many of the Blaze Spikers’ faithful recognized that Charo’s absence would make the semifinals encounter versus Cignal an uphill climb without one of the team’s formidable middle-attackers. They were right and the Blaze Spikers were relegated to the Bronze Medal match. When I walked into the MOA Arena yesterday, I noticed Charo suited up in the warm-ups and I instantly pinched myself. During the changeover between the first and second sets in that game, I approached her and asked her why she was back. She explained to me that she asked her family for permission to return and help the team. The Soriano family has always supported Charo’s volleyball career; especially during her days with the Ateneo Lady Eagles. That didn’t change in this case. Charo rejoined the team practically straight from the airport and was a factor during her two and a half set stint on the floor. “I’m sure most people would have done this also,” Charo told me. Not really. I might have chosen Bali, but that’s just me.

OVERACHIEVER OF THE DAY: Jovelyn Gonzaga—TMS-Philippine Army

I was right. She did bounce back from a lackluster showing in the semifinals. 48 hours after registering only two points in their hard-earned win against Cagayan Valley, the 21-year-old Iloilo native redeemed herself with a solid twelve point performance for the TMS-Philippine Army when it mattered most—the championship game. Veteran center Mary Jean Balse was already overexerting herself to put away the pesky Cignal HD squad but when Gonzaga began becoming relentless in the fourth set, the HD Spikers had no answer for her. Balse actually finished with sixteen markers, but it was Gonzaga’s aggression that doomed Cignal, and for her efforts, she got the nod for Player of the Game—which could technically make her Finals MVP, but there is no official word on that.

DNP-CD WONDER OF THE DAY: Des Patliano—PLDT MyDSL

May Macatuno is one of the smallest setters in the league, albeit one of the most effective. But against the pagodas of Bingo Milyonaryo, more height from anywhere could have been a big help for the Speed Boosters. Patilano—as I wrote in a previous article—has had her power struggles with Macatuno ever since they were competing for the starting job in the Adamson University varsity under then Head Coach Minerva Dulce Pante. Macatuno won the job and when PLDT MyDSL unveiled their line-up heading into the PSL Invitational, the starting setter job was once again a toss-up between these two talented Lady Falcons. According to Speed Boosters’ Head Coach Francis Vicente, he’s actually a believer of Patilano’s abilities and feels she could be a game-changer once she returns to playing shape. Macatuno is obviously the more conditioned of the two as she still trains with the Adamson women's volleyball team in preparation for UAAP Season 76. My boggle is when the Puffins began using their height advantage against PLDT MyDSL in the third and fourth sets, why wasn’t Patilano dispatched to add more ceiling when the setter’s position moved to the front? I guess we’ll never know now that the Speed Boosters successfully triumphed in that match.

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TRIVIA OF THE DAY: The “Best Libero” award was scrapped at the last minute

When the individual awards were to be handed out, I noticed a change in the list where the award for Best Libero was left blank. Determining the best libero is more difficult then looking for the best in any other position: Diagonal, Opposite, Middle and Setter. These positions have telltale indicators that allow league officials—whether based on stats or impact—to identify the best in that position, for instance: if there was an award for Best Utility Spiker of the league, the competition could focus on Petron’s Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Bingo Milyonaryo’s Michele Gumabao easily due to the numbers they produced while playing in that position. For liberos, there are too many intangibles to consider and even after considering those, the battle between Cagayan Valley’s Jheck Dionela and Cignal’s Jen Reyes would have been too close, hence a human factor would have to have been inserted: subjectivity. That would have raised controversies and I think the league made the right choice in abandoning this accolade. Both liberos in question were awarded, though; with Dionela taking down the Best Digger plum and Reyes owning the Best Receiver trophy. Controversy avoided.

HIGHLIGHT MOMENT OF THE DAY: The consolation match for fifth becomes the best match of the tournament

Once again, it escaped television coverage. The PSL and Solar Sports would now have to look into tweaking this portion of their deal. It’s either you show all games of a triple-header, or just conduct twin-bill gamedays. I’m pretty certain this will be on the negotiation table for both parties before the PSL Open. It was an action-packed affair with the reward being attaining the top overall pick in the upcoming PSL Expansion Draft. Originally, the lowest finisher would have dibs on this but the league put value in having both teams return for a consolation match—and it was a dandy. For those of you who caught the television coverage (which began at the bronze medal game), you were probably wondering why the crowd at the venue was already abuzz and why many were already fatigued by the beginning of the championship match. Now you know why.

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PLAYER OF THE DAY: Mic-Mic Laborte—Bingo Milyonaryo

I would seldom give this recognition to a player coming from the losing squad, but in this case I’ll make a very well deserved exception. Why? Because Mic-Mic Laborte may have just played the most exceptional game of her storied twenty year career in that five-set drainer against eventual fifth-placer PLDT MyDSL in the curtain-raiser to the hostilities on the PSL’s final competition day. We all know she can block and we all know she can intimidate. But when Laborte goes for 46 spike attempts, you know she was out to get the win at all costs. Laborte just has this knack for trying to put her entire team on her shoulders and at the bright young age of 33, she showed us all that she can still get it done. Mic-Mic’s resilience allowed the Puffins to climb back from two sets down and even extend the deciding set into a battle of wills—something that Bingo Milyonaryo should have the edge in. Unfortunately for Laborte and the Puffins’ followers Pau Soriano and Angela Benting still had the energy to finish off Bingo Milyonaryo, but Laborte’s line of 22 points—with seven blocks (league record) and fifteen attacks (season-high)—makes her demand the respect of a new generation of volleyball fans. Learn from the master, kids. Meet one of the best defensive specialists of all-time and perhaps the best teammates ever, Mic-Mic Laborte.

MATCH OF THE DAY: PLDT MyDSL vs. Bingo Milyonaryo (5 sets)

Many said the quarterfinals battle between Petron and Bingo Milyonaryo was the best match of the season, until the TMS-Philippine Army-Cagayan Valley slugfest happened in the semifinals. But when this consolation match played out, it dislodged all. The faceoff between two generations of middle-hitters in Pau Soriano and Mic-Mic Laborte was one for the books as neither player gave in to each other's aggression and inspired their teammates to be as gung-ho as the lead bombers. PLDT MyDSL apparently cruised to an opening set win 25-18, but it was not without resistance from the Puffins as returning open-spiker Stephanie Mercado showed everyone she was far from done in the tournament. The nip and tuck second set saw Maureen Penetrante-Ouano begin to assert her might but Soriano and Speed Boosters utility-spiker Cha Moralde stayed aggressive and PLDT MyDSL nipped the veteran Puffins 26-24. At this point, Bingo Milyonaryo could have just wilted, but Laborte would not give up; leading the Puffins to a 25-21 triumph in the third. Bingo Milyonaryo then began leaning on their younger guns in Michele Gumabao and Maica Morada—who played like an extra libero—to take the fourth set again via a similar score. The fifth set then saw six match points exchanged until the Speed Boosters finally dug deep and clawed their way to the finish line first, 20-18. Many thought the match would never end and fans either got exhausted with the energy generated by the match or became more energized to cheer for the next two matches. It was a great way to set up the day and probably—for those who saw it live—the match that will be remembered the most in the PSL’s maiden voyage.

PHOTO CAPTION OPPORTUNITY OF THE DAY

Denise Tan has wowed audiences for years as the star setter for UST during her collegiate and Shakey’s V-League days. Nowadays, she has entered the realm of broadcasting and has become quite adept in her role as a courtside reporter. She even followed the memo to the letter when we were all informed that we had to be in our formal attire for the final day of competition in the PSL. But apparently, something began bothering this former volleybelle’s right ear. Was it the voice of the venue announcer? Was it a bug? Was it her conscience telling her to play again? You decide! In the comments box, begin your reply with PHOTO CAPTION ANSWER and blast away.

The PSL has given volleyball players a new avenue to showcase their skills after their collegiate careers have passed and many still showed that they can rough it up with the youngsters. The PSL Open will surely bring more of these talents out of hibernation and it won’t be long before the best of the best in Philippine women’s volleyball begin strutting their stuff once again for a new breed of aficionados to witness. That may happen as early as October.

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So what have your experiences been like in the aftermath of the PSL?

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