Alyssa Valdez, Creamline clash with Sta. Lucia in PVL pro season opener
Creamline, which topped the league’s last conference when it was still a semi-pro outfit two years ago, will show why it is the heavy favorite to win the PVL Open Conference as it clashes with newcomer Sta. Lucia Realty in the main game of a heavy triple bill at 7 p.m. at the PCV Socio-Civic & Cultural Center......»»
Alyssa Valdez, Creamline clash with Sta. Lucia in PVL pro season opener
Creamline, which topped the league’s last conference when it was still a semi-pro outfit two years ago, will show why it is the heavy favorite to win the PVL Open Conference as it clashes with newcomer Sta. Lucia Realty in the main game of a heavy triple bill at 7 p.m. at the PCV Socio-Civic & Cultural Center......»»
BATCH CLASH: Do you agree? Season 76 Lady Eagles will beat Season 81 Lady Eagles?
Remember when we did a Batch Clash piece pitting the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles champion team of Season 76 against the title squad of Season 81? ABS-CBN Sports laid down the statistics, team composition, strengths and the competition faced by the two Ateneo teams and let the readers decide who would fare better if they were to square off in a match. [Related story: BATCH CLASH: Season 76 Lady Eagles vs. Season 81 Lady Eagles] It would really be interesting to see these Lady Eagles go at it, right? But again, who will emerge victorious between the two batches of UAAP champions? Without batting an eyelash, Ricky Palou, former Ateneo athletic director and one of the brilliant minds behind turning the struggling Lady Eagles into one the best women’s volleyball programs in the UAAP, gave it to the breakthrough Ateneo squad. “I’d go for Batch 76,” Palou said during his interview on the Crossover podcast. The chief of Sports Vision, which is the organizer of the Premier Volleyball League, backed up his claim by pointing out that Batch 76 went through a tougher journey to the throne. Batch 76 was in a rebuilding stage that year after the departure of the Fab Five and under a new system with the arrival of Thai coach Tai Bundit. For him, the Lady Eagles of Season 76 are tougher. The heartstrong Batch 76 will definitely win. “I saw how they, Coach Tai that was his first year here. He worked them really very, very hard. I was looking at some of these players and some of them were thinking of quitting because training was tough. Most of them held on,” recalled Palou, who together with the amiable and media savvy former team manager Tony Boy Liao, is the architect of the successful Ateneo volleyball program. “I figured the training that they went through and the games that they went through, even competition that they went through. So, I’d go for Batch 76,” he added. HEIGHT vs. MAGIC Man-to-man both Alyssa Valdez and libero Denden Lazaro-Revilla agreed that Batch 76 is at a disadvantage in terms of height. “Advantage ng Season 81 is really height,” said the three-time UAAP Most Valuable Player. “We don’t have that nu’ng Season 76.” “Talo kami sa height,” Lazaro-Revilla echoed. Batch 81 boasts of a pair of 5-foot-10 and very skilled middles in Bea De Leon and Maddie Madayag and a 6-foot-2 wing spiker in Kat Tolentino. “Our middles are Amy (Ahomiro) and Aeriel (Patnongon) and Marge (Tejada) and Ana (Gopico). But Marge and Ana got injured. So we have like two lang so parang hindi namin alam. Libero kami lamang,” said Valdez. “Lamang sa height. Sa setter Jia (Morado) and Deanna (Wong)? Deanna’s taller I think,” Lazaro-Revilla said. But what they lack in ceiling, Batch 76 compensates with its superb and versatile wing spikers and solid floor defense. “I think (for Batch 81) it’s Jules (Samonte) and Ponggay (Gaston). So our open hitters would be me and Ella (de Jesus). Kay Ella pa lang, alam mo na,” Valdez said with confidence. “Tiwala kami kay Ella. Utility namin would be Mich (Morente) or Kim (Gequillana). And they have Kat.” “It’s really height vs. magic?” added Valdez. Anchored behind the consistency of the Iron Eagle Denden Lazaro and with the support of Morente and De Jesus, Batch 76 will give Batch 81 a hard time scoring. “I think lamang namin is floor defense. May tiwala ako sa teammates ko,” said Lazaro-Revilla, a two-time Best Receiver winner and Season 76 Best Digger. In which Valdez chimed in: “Si Den, si Ella and Michifu (Morente) kasi ako wala talaga kong ginagawa na floor defense.” “Hindi ka lang rume-receive pero dumedepensa ka naman,” quipped Lazaro-Revilla. “Binabawi mo naman sa mga palo mo and serves.” Looking back, Palou stressed that Batch 76’s Cinderella run is a feat that is tough to beat. Besides, that Lady Eagles team made a miracle when they survived a string of do-or-die games before toppling the four-peat-seeking and thrice-to-beat powerhouse De La Salle University in the Finals. “But you know, you look at the competition then, look at the team of La Salle, it was a powerhouse, Aby Marano, Kim Fajardo, you look at NU they have the Santiago sisters (Dindin and Jaja), they have Myla Pablo. You look at FEU they have (Bernadeth) Pons, (Toni) Basas, all those good players,” Palou said. “So even competition-wise, the competition they fought then was better and stronger than what they had in the other group.” “I agree,” said Lazaro-Revilla. “I mean the competition that we went through nu’ng time na yun. It was tough for us because given na we were a rebuilding team. So for us it was really tough.” --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @fromtheriles.....»»
Kaspersky Shares Cybersecurity Tips for a Peaceful Getaway during the holy week
As the holiday season approaches, the urge to unwind and kick back is natural. And it’s all too common for people to let their guard down completely when connecting to the Internet too– but shouldn’t. Recently, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group shared its findings on identity theft cases in the country. Between November […].....»»
MLB season begins
Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers take center stage on Thursday as Major League Baseball’s new season gets under way on US soil against the backdrop of a gambling scandal that has engulfed its brightest star......»»
Creamline still team to beat
Creamline’s dramatic, come-from-behind 26-28, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 16-14 win over Cignal Tuesday night at the PhilSports Arena showed that it’s still the superpower in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.....»»
‘Danger’ level heat index recorded in 9 areas
Nine areas in the country experienced a heat index classified as “danger” level on Tuesday amid El Nino and the start of the dry and warm season......»»
Rest of PVL catching up to perenially dominant Cool Smashers?
Creamline’s dramatic come-from-behind 26-28, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 16-14 win over Cignal Tuesday night at the PhilSports Arena showed it remained the team-to-beat in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference......»»
UAAP volleyball enters break amid wide-open semis race
It’s the calm before the storm as teams embark on a much-needed pause ahead of an expected all-out race to the UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments Final Four......»»
Holy Week 2024: A peek into 7 Metro Cebu churches for Visita Iglesia
The Lenten Season is also about reflection and prayer about the passion of Christ. There are days to fast and during the Holy Week on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the Catholic faithful usually practice the Visita Iglesia or the tradition to visit 7 or 14 churches, where they pray and reflect and do.....»»
Live your faith
‘Tis the season to be holy, to contemplate matters of the spirit and repent for one’s sins in hopes of redemption......»»
MPL PH Season 13: Smart Omega stays winless; AP.Bren takes solo lead
It's been a bad start for Smart Omega as the barangay remains winless in the 13th season of the Mobile Legends Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines......»»
3 suspected rebels killed in clash in Philippines Batangas
MANILA, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Three suspected rebels were killed in a clash with government forces in Batangas province, south of Manila, on Tuesday, the Philippine military said. The military said a 30-minute gunfight broke out around 6:30 a.m. local time after the troops ran into a group of New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Rosario town. The troops recovered three rifles, six jungle packs, and some mater.....»»
Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, March 26
MANILA -- Three suspected rebels were killed in a clash with government forces in Batangas province, south of Manila, on Tuesday, the Philippine military said. The military said a 30-minute gunfight broke out around 6:30 a.m. local time after the troops ran into a group of New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Rosario town. (Philippines-Clash) - - - - BEIRUT -- Two people were killed and nine other civ.....»»
Big 4 Volleyball tilt marks successful inaugural season, eyes bigger tourneys soon
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Big Four Volleyball Tournament wrapped up last weekend successfully at the Warehouse Sports Lab in Mandaue City. This grassroots volleyball tournament saw inaugural champions being crowned. The Subangdaku Trojans emerged as champions in the 13-under and the girls 14-17 divisions, while Cabancalan National High School ruled the 14-17 boys division. .....»»
Blazers emerge as masters of NCAA lawn tennis
College of St. Benilde flexed its muscle in lawn tennis after it mightily swept both the men’s and women’s division of the recently concluded NCAA Season 99 edition at the PCA courts in Paco, Manila......»»
Army troops kill BIFF training officer in Maguindanao clash
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 25 March) – Philippine Army troops killed an alleged ranking member of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) during an encounter in Maguindanao del Sur last Friday. Brig. General Jose Vlademir Cagara, commander of the Army’s 1st Brigade Combat team, said troops killed Abu Halil, a training officer of the […].....»»
eTravel pains
You know it’s a popular season for traveling when television news outlets are already reporting live from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to check if there are already hordes of passengers preparing to leave town or the country during the Holy Week break......»»
Cool Smashers eye solo PVL lead
Creamline guns for the solo lead while Cignal seeks a share of it as the two collide in a battle of the giants Tuesday in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena......»»
Avoiding the play-in
The NBA regular season ends on April 14, meaning only 20 days are left to determine which teams from the East and West will figure in the dreaded play-in tournament......»»
All-Out fight for top spot?
Creamline guns for the solo lead when it collides with Cignal in a battle of the giants today in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena......»»