Amihan Pilipinas set to go on a nationwide tour with PLDT Home Ultera

The Amihan Pilipinas volleyball superstars (L-R): Lizlee Ann Pantone, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Nerissa Bautista, Honey Rose Tubino, Christina Salak, Dindin Santiago, Rachel Anne Daquis, Jaja Santiago, Mary Jean Balse, Mika Reyes, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Kim Fajardo and Jen Reyes. Not in photo: Ara Galang, Rhea Dimaculangan and Maika Ortiz.

The all-star Amihan Pilipinas women's volleyball team will be touring around the country this summer season to help promote the sport in the grassroots level.

In coordination with PLDT Home Ultera, the Philippine Volleyball Federation, and the different local government units, Amihan is set to visit ten cities to assist in unearthing volleyball talents via clinics and exhibition matches, while helping the PLDT Home Ultera Install Patrol bring LTE broadband accessibility to each location.

PLDT Home's marketing head Gary Dujali believes that having this Install Patrol tour with the Amihan squad will help "bring the sport to a whole new level." He adds that "fans get to be mentored by the country's top volleyball coaches and play against their favorite Amihan Pilipinas superstars."

Amihan is composed of "the cream of the crop in women's volleyball" in Mika Reyes, Rachel Anne Daquis, Jovelyn Gonzaga, the Santiago sisters (Dindin and Jaja), Ara Galang, Nerissa Bautista, Mary Jean Balse, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Jen Reyes, Tina Salak, Honey Royse Tubino, Rhea Dimaculangan, Maika Ortiz, and Lizlee Ann Gata-Pantone. Joining these players are the following coaches: Ramil de Jesus, Ariel dela Cruz, and Rico de Guzman.

Amihan already made their way to General Trias and Dasmarinas in Cavite, as well as Iloilo, Sta. Maria, Bulacan, and Lipa, Batangas, while they are to come to Puerto Princesa, Palawan and Pampanga this month.

Details on the PLDT Home Ultera-Amihan tour can be seen on www.pldthome.com.

NU volleyball in do-or-die action

Games today at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:
2 p.m. – NU vs UST (men semis)
4 p.m. – FEU vs NU (women step-ladder)

National University will have a full afternoon of action at The Big Dome today, with the resumption of postseason collegiate volleyball action.

Kicking off the doubleheader is the men's Final Four matchup against UST at 2pm. The defending champions forced a winner-take-all match after beating the second seeds, 26-24, 28-26, 23-25, and 25-21 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Awaiting the winner is top seed Ateneo on Wednesday. The Blue Spikers dispatched Adamson in the other Final Four matchup.

The second game of the doubleheader features the Lady Bulldogs going up against Far Eastern University in the official start of the stepladder postseason in women's volleyball.

NU has gone 6-3 since the move to hire Roger Gorayeb as head coach, who remains hopeful that they can replicate the feat Ateneo did last season in its ascent to the championship.

The Lady Tamaraws completed the cast after defeating old rivals UST in a a playoff, 25-21, 25-15, 20-25, 16-25, 15-6. The win marks their return to the postseason after missing out on the last two seasons. Libero Tin Agno was the only player from that squad that is still on the roster.

For head coach Shaq delos Santos, he wants to see the Lady Tamaraws to remain focused and enjoying the game, as they play their fourth straight elimination match. He adds, "Maganda ang ikinikilos ng NU, pero hindi kami nawawalan ng pag-asa. Nakakaakyat na kami. Yung butas ng karayom, napapalaki namin. Pero hindi kami puwedeng mag-relax dahil tiyak na magiging intense ang pangyayari sa game (today),"

UST, FEU keep postseason hopes alive

The postseason for women's volleyball got a little more complicated, with UST and FEU ensuring that at least one playoff game will be needed before the stepladder officially begins.

The Tigresses assured themselves of at least a playoff after easily dispatching the UE Lady Warriors, 25-10 25-22 and 25-11. EJ Laure and Pam Lastimosa combined to score 21 points in the win and sending Francis Vicente's side without a win for season 77.

The other women's match saw FEU took care of things against Adamson, 25-20 25-21 and 25-18, in what amounted to be a play-in game for the playoff. Head coach Shaq delos Santos said that the Lady Tamaraws were slowly gaining in confidence, especially with wins against UP and now Adamson, squads that are also in the playoff hunt.

Bernadette Pons and Remy Palma each scored twelve points in the win, while Geneveve Casugod added ten of her own.

In the men's side, the Tiger Spikers of UST secured the remaining twice-to-beat advantage still in play, defeating Ateneo in five sets, 25-15 22-25 25-23 17-25 15-13. The other game saw defending champions NU snatch the third seed in beating Adamson, 26-28 25-17 25-17 and 25-21. The Final Four matchups sees Ateneo against Adamson and UST against NU.



The final set of volleyball games in the eliminations is set to take place later today, highlighted by the women's matchup between NU and UP. The Lady Bulldogs are seeded third in the stepladder regardless of the result, but the Lady Maroons need to win in order to gain entry into a playoff for it, joining the Tigresses and the Lady Tamaraws. Otherwise, UST and FEU will joust for that final spot of the stepladder on Wednesday.

Lady Bulldogs make women's volleyball postseason

NU officially booked its seat in the postseason for the third straight season with a tightly fought four-set victory over Adamson, 25-18 22-25 26-24 25-19.

Jaja Santiago led the way with 25 points, including six blocks, while Rizza Mandapat added 12 points and nine digs for head coach Roger Gorayeb. The duo joined forces to allow the Lady Bulldogs to pull away in the fourth set after a 7-all deadlock.

Mylene Paat and Jessica Galanza led the Lady Falcons with fifteen markers each, while Amanda Villanueva added fourteen.

In the second game, FEU forced a four-way tie for the fourth and final spot in the stepladder by defeating UP, 19-25 25-15 25-19 and 25-19.

Head coach Shaq delos Santos was pleased to see their willingness to win, noting that the skills are already there. He adds, "Malaki ang tiwala sa team ko, kahit mga bata pa yan, naniniwala ako sa kakayahan nila. Paghihirapan namin yung last game against Adamson, yun ang kailangan naming magawa."

Bernadette Pons topscored with 20 points and 11 digs, while Remy Palma netted 16, including three blocks.

The Lady Maroons, hampered by an ineffective Nicole Tiamzon all-game long, were led by Angeli Araneta and Marian Buitre, who combined for 26 points.

That spot will receive some clarity this weekend, as FEU and Adamson duke it out in one matchup, while UST (against UE) and UP (against NU) seek to muddle the picture.

On the men's side, Ateneo dispatched La Salle, 25-17 27-25 and 25-21 to guarantee itself of at least a playoff for the twice-to-beat advantage, while UST continued its course to snatch that with a 25-12 28-26 and 25-21 straight set win over UP.

12 straight for Ateneo in UAAP women's volleyball

Standings   W    L
Ateneo        12   0
La Salle      11   1
Adamson     5    6
NU              5    6
UST             5    7
UP               4    7
FEU            4    7
UE              0    12

Games Saturday at the Filoil Flying V Arena:
8 a.m. – Ateneo vs FEU (men)
10 a.m. – La Salle vs UST (men)
2 p.m. – UST vs UP (women)
4 p.m. – FEU vs NU (women)

Defending champions Ateneo made history on Wednesday afternoon at the Mall of Asia Arena, as they defeated UST, 25-18 25-22 and 25-22 to remain unbeaten this season after twelve games.

Alyssa Valdez's 21 points led the charge as the Lady Eagles reached the 12-win mark in the eliminations for the first time. Amy Ahomiro and Michelle Morente combined to score 23 points, while Jia Morado contributed 33 sets.

"We are really thankful we survived this game talaga. It was very well played. Yung UST, sobrang ganda ng game nila, yung depensa nila. Ipinapakita sa amin na marami pang kailangan na mai-improve," said the reigning MVP.

Much like their win against FEU, the ladies of head coach Anusorn Bundit got some breaks due to opposing errors late, dooming them to back-to-back losses after stringing together four straight wins.

The victory, however, came with some worries, as both Aeriel Patnongon and Maddie Madayag suffered left ankle injuries, with the latter not being able to continue. Valdez herself also had her wrist taped a bit after getting a knock while hustling for a ball. In a positive note, Bea de Leon was suited up to play, although the rookie's services was not needed for this one.

In the other women's match, La Salle continued their impressive form with a 25-6 25-17 and 25-17 victory over winless UE. Ara Galang and Mika Reyes led the Lady Spikers with ten markers apiece.

For last season's finals participants, yesterday marked the first day of their cramped schedule, to be capped off by their much anticipated second round meeting on February 18.

Earlier, the postseason cast for men's volleyball was officially set, after defending champions National University eliminated Far Eastern University, 25-13 25-23 25-23. Adamson had officially booked its seat after dispatching a winless UE side, 25-16 25-15 and 25-20.

La Salle snaps UST streak, Ateneo keeps winning run going in UAAP volleyball

Standings  W   L
Ateneo       11   0
La Salle     10    1
UST           5    6
UP             4    6
Adamson    4    6
NU             4    6
FEU           4    7
UE              0    10

Games Saturday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

8 a.m. – UE vs UST (men)
10 a.m. – UP vs Ateneo (men)
2 p.m. – UE vs NU (women)
4 p.m. – UP vs Adamson (women)

La Salle clinched the other twice-to-beat advantage in UAAP women's volleyball yesterday, as they stopped UST's four-game winning streak, 25-21 25-9 and 25-18, at the Filoil Flying V Arena.

Ara Galang scored 17 points, while Cyd Demecillo added twelve in the straight sets win, their tenth in eleven games this season.

Head coach Ramil de Jesus praised the performance of the Lady Spikers, saying that "Siguro, maganda lang inilaro ng mga bata at na-execute yung iniaral nila sa scouting."

Said scouting paid off, as they limited UST mainstays EJ Laure, Pam Lastimosa, and Ria Meneses to six points each, with Carmela Tunay held to only three markers.

The loss dropped the Tigresses to a 5-6 record, but still allowed them to keep solo third

The other women's match saw Ateneo maintain its unblemished record with a 25-23 25-21 25-23 win over FEU.

The Lady Tams had a chance to snatch an advantage in the third set, but were done in by consecutive errors from Toni Rose Basas and Kyle Negrito.

Playing their first game without Bea de Leon, the Lady Eagles collectively filled the gap mainly by plugging Maddie Madayag into that hole. The rookie netted four points in her first start for the team.

It had been announced that de Leon will be out for 4-6 weeks due to an index finger injury. According to Alyssa Valdez, the team had to adjust to not having Bea and "we were glad we were able to survive this game."

Valdez finished with 23 points and seven digs to lead the defending champions, while Amy Ahomiro added 13 markers, including five service aces.

The Lady Tamaraws dropped to 4-7 with the loss, with Bernadette Pons contributing thirteen points and Jerrili Malabanan adding nine.

In the men's division, upsets prevailed, with FEU defeating Adamson, 22-25, 25-21, 25-22, and 25-23. The Green Spikers of La Salle, already eliminated in the Final Four race at 3-8, issued a third straight loss for National University, hacking out a 26-24, 25-19, and 25-22 win to the defending champions.

Streaking UST, La Salle clash in UAAP women's volleyball

Standings  W   L
Ateneo      10   0
La Salle     9    1
UST           5    5
UP             4    6
FEU           4    6
Adamson   4    6
NU             4    6
UE             0    10

Games today at the Filoil Flying V Arena:

8 a.m. – Adamson vs FEU (men)
10 a.m. – NU vs La Salle (men)
2 p.m. – FEU vs Ateneo (women)
4 p.m. – La Salle vs UST (women)

Two streaking teams battle it out at the Filoil Flying Arena later today, with La Salle facing off against UST at 4pm.

The Tigresses have racked off four straight wins to rise from seventh to solo third in the standings, aiming to extend that winning run and also secure some breathing room in their quest to secure a spot in the postseason.

To secure that sought-after breathing room, however, UST will have to deal with last year's finalists in back-to-back games, starting today against the Lady Spikers and next week against Ateneo.

Head coach Odjie Mamon sees this matchup against La Salle as a chance to gauge their improvement from their struggles earlier in the season. Their first round meeting ended in DLSU's favor, 25-23 27-25 and 25-17.

As for La Salle, a win here would ensure them a twice-to-beat advantage in the postseason. Head coach Ramil de Jesus remains cautious, saying that "UST is peaking right now. So ganoon, kailangang paghandaan."

The other women's match involves the defending champions playing their first game without Bea de Leon. The rookie suffered a broken index finger during practice and will be sidelined for around four to six weeks.

The Lady Eagles will be a huge test for the Lady Tamaraws, as they try to get themselves a leg up in the logjam for the final two postseason slots still in play.

Also taking place this morning is the men's division, with NU and Adamson seeking to get themselves closer to earning postseason berths against separate opposition.

Ara Galang and Alyssa Valdez lead UAAP women's volleyball MVP race

Games Sunday at the Filoil Flying V Arena:

8 a.m. – Ateneo vs UE (men)
10 a.m. – UP vs NU (men)
2 p.m. – UP vs Ateneo (women)
4 p.m. – UE vs DLSU (women)

Former high school teammates Ara Galang and Alyssa Valdez lead the race for the Most Valuable Player in Season 77 of UAAP women's volleyball heading into the holiday break.

Galang is leading the charge for the 5-0 Lady Spikers with 105 points (82 spikes, thirteen blocks, ten service aces) to top the league in scoring. 27 of those points came against Adamson on November 23, which is the highest point total in one game so far.

As for Valdez, the reigning MVP is the league's top spiker with a 45.33% success rating, as well as the best service with a 0.83 per set average. She is a far second behind Galang in the points tally with just 81 points (68 attacks, ten service aces, and three blocks).

Completing the top five in the scoring race are FEU's Bernadette Pons (76), NU's Jaja Santiago (75) and UP's Nicole Tiamzon (72).

To add to her top-five scoring feat, Santiago is second behind Valdez in spiking with a 41.29% clip.

In the blocking category, La Salle's Mika Reyes and Adamson's Mylene Paat each average 1.00 per set to lead the league.

Paat's teammate, Len Cortel, is setting the pace in digs with 3.29, followed by Tin Agno at 2.79 for FEU.

Sophomore standout Jia Morado from Ateneo is leading in setting with 10.67 per set, with last season's best setter Kim Fajardo in second place with 8.24.

Jia's fellow teammates Ella de Jesus and Denden Lazaro are 1-2 in receiving, with a 43.48% and 40% rating, respectively.

The league will resume action on Sunday at The Arena in San Juan, with the Battle of Katipuan at 2pm, followed the matchup of the best and worst teams in the league in La Salle and UE at 4pm.

*TMX Sports is the official statistician for UAAP volleyball.

NU claims UAAP Girls' Volleyball title

NATIONAL University took its first-ever UAAP girls volleyball crown Thursday at the Adamson gym

National University secured its first girls' volleyball crown in the UAAP, needing four sets to dethrone University of Santo Tomas, 25-21, 28-26, 26-28, and 25-12.

NU avenged their defeat in last year's finals, as they took the title via a two-game sweep. They capped the title with a Jennifer Nierva spike to give the F. Jhocson school the championsip.

Nierva was feted as the Best Server for the season, while teammate Faith Nisperos was named as the MVP. Also feted were Rica Diolan as Best Setter and Christine Magallanes as the Best Libero.

In spite of the championship defeat, UST will not go home empty-handed, as Eya Laure and Pauline Gaston were named as the Best Attacker and Best Blocker, respectively.

The other ladies who secured individual awards are La Salle-Zobel's Mildred Dizon as Best Receiver, and Far Eastern University-Diliman's Rachel Ann Fabro as the Rookie of the Year.

The other match saw the Ateneo Blue Eaglets secure a finals berth, pulling out a 25-20, 28-26, and 27-25 upset of second-seed National University. Win sets up a clash against the undefeated University of the East, who are seeking their eleventh straight title in boys' volleyball.

NU, UST nab UAAP beach volleyball crowns

National University and the University of Santo Tomas needed three games to dispatch their respective opponents this past weekend to secure the UAAP titles for men's and women's beach volleyball at the sand courts of UE Caloocan.

The tandem of Josephenry Tipay and Edwin Tolentino for National University downed the Tiger Spikers duo of Kris Roy Guzman and Mark Alfafara to secure their third straight title in the men's division and matching FEU for the most number of titles since the event became part of the official UAAP calendar.

On Saturday, NU took Game 1, 15-21, 21-18, and 17-15, but UST forced a winner-take-all on Sunday with a 23-21 and 21-16 victory.

The decided went to the full three-set limit, 19-21, 21-18, and 17-15, with Tipay securing the match-clinching kill. He was then awarded the Most Valuable Player crown.

"Great exit, napakaganda ng team chemistry namin," said Tipay. "Hindi naging madali para sa amin, pero nandoon ang puso namin. Hindi kami nagpabaya."

Tiger Spikers head coach Emil Lontoc remained positive in spite of the defeat, saying "Masaya pa rin. Mag-aral na lang tayo sa pagkukulang natin at 'yung tama, itama pa natin ng todo."

UE's Edward Camposano was named as the Rookie of the Year.

In the women's side, the rookie duo of Cherry Rondina and Rica Rivera belied their perceived inexperience to lead UST back atop the heap, taking down La Salle in three games.

Undefeated in the eliminations, UST took Game 1, 21-15 and 25-23, ending the match on a Rivera service ace.

La Salle finally managed to put a blemish on the Lady Spikers' record in Game 2, 16-21, 22-20, and 18-16, as Cyd Demecillo secured the final two points needed to establish the win and prevent the sweep.

Securing a split forced a Game 3 on Sunday morning. UST started off slow, going down 0-4, but managed to regroup, eventually uncorking ten straight points to take control of the match. They would eventually win the first set, 21-15.

The second set saw a curious move by DLSU head coach Ramil de Jesus, inserting Ara Galang in place of Demecillo to partner with Kim Fajardo, but the change did not faze UST as Rondina's service ace ensured a 16-6 lead, allowing the Lady Spikers to eventually coast to a 21-11 win.

Rondina was named as the MVP, while Rivera was named as the Rookie of the Year. The tandem already brought honor to the school this past summer at the Philippine National Games, netting a silver medal for their efforts.

"Na-pressure lang kami siguro, nadala lang siguro kami sa cheering ng mga tao," said Rondina, adding that, "Hindi ako makapaniwala kasi mga beterano kasi ang mga kinalaban namin. Ang sa amin eh yung maglaro kung anong itinuro sa amin ni coach (Emil Lontoc)."

Lontoc gave the ladies their due, "Fast learner sila. Pagdating sa ball training, doon sila lumalamang sa mga kalaban at the same time 'yung ball quickness. Kapag nag-mature pa sila, mas malaki pa ang tiyansa manalo."

Rivera chimed in, "Malaking achievement kasi nga Rookie of the Year, pero mas masayang part na nag-champion kami, na 'yun nakuha naming title as rookies."

In an interview, de Jesus explained that the decision to replace Cyd with Ara was due to the former having a problem with her right foot that came up after Game 2.

Of Fab Fives

Taken from Fille's Facebook via Noel Zarate's Yahoo! Ph blog

On an early Wednesday evening, at the Mall of Asia Arena, The Lady Spikers of De La Salle were celebrating their third straight UAAP women's volleyball title.

They won in straight sets, 25-23, 25-20, 25-16 over a game Ateneo side that tried their best to match wits and skills against the reigning champions. One might say, it was a mirror image of the last time these teams played at the MOA Arena, the first time women's volleyball was played at such a large venue.

But this post is not about Mika Reyes or Ara Galang or Aby Marano or Coach Ramil.

This is about Fille Cainglet, Dzi Gervacio, Gretchen Ho, A Nacachi and Jem Ferrer.

This is about the "Fab Five" of Loyola Heights. Five ladies who stood the test of time and built something not just for Ateneo, but for the sport itself.

When Ateneo made the finals for the second straight season, I thought of the analogy to the 2002 basketball team. Yeah, that team of the Season of Grace. I thought losing last year would then lead to winning this year.

I was wrong, then. Because, well, the laidesdid not win the title this year.

And then, it hit me. I used the wrong collegiate basketball team for the analogy.

The term "Fab Five" in sports is best linked to the University of Michigan Wolverines' quintet of Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. As freshmen and sophomores, they made it all the way to the NCAA Finals, losing both times. Best remembered for the whole Chris Webber "timeout" shenanigans in the 1993 NCAA Finals vs North Carolina, this particular recruitment class should be remembered as the ones who set the stage for what is the atmosphere of American collegiate basketball today (whether that is good or bad will be a question for another day).

If you ask the experts, this season in women's volleyball has been historic and unprecedented. One might say, this is the season when the sport became mainstream instead of being merely a side story or a supplement. And a lot of that, (but not all of it, though) had to do with these ladies.

Who in their wildest dreams would think that a volleyball match will be played at the Mall of Asia Arena and the Araneta Coliseum? It's so far away from matches being played at the CHK Gym in UP or the Blue Eagle Gym. ABS-CBN Sports were delighted with attendance records being broken and tv ratings matching, if not exceeding men's basketball. Hey, it made me stop and pay attention a little more that I used to do. And for that, I am grateful.

They deserve a great send-off. Perhaps that bonfire tonight will do the trick. After all, they deserve it.

So I say, thank you to the five of you. And to the remaining ladies, it's time to build on the foundation they set. May the force be with you.