The M. Lhuillier Sports Development Foundation (MLSDF)-sponsored University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) women’s volleyball team sails off for Bacolod City early this morning with high hopes of making waves in the 2007 National University Games set from October 21 to 27.
The USJ-R volleybelles, back-to-back champions in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI), assured to make a good account of themselves in the face of a tough field of opposition in the week-long sports conclave at the City of Smiles.
“I can’t say on our chances at this point because we haven’t seen yet our opponents,” said USJ-R coach Grace Antigua. “But we will play the best possible way we can. We will give our best to avoid early elimination. Our target really is to reach the semifinals,” added the Cebu Sports Hall of Famer.
Antigua will bank on her ace players in the likes of Jullett Mae Marikit, Genie Sabas, Aina Laroga, Gwendolyn Gutang, and Michelle Simbajon among others.
“Hopefully they will deliver. I know our opponents are very tough, but we’ll just give it a try. Anyway, the ball is round as they say,” said Antigua, herselt a decorated volleybelle during his prime.
Antigua said among the forces to reckon with in the Uni-Games volleyball event are Far Eastern University (FEU) and host teams University of St. La Salle (USLS)-Bacolod and USJ-R’s sister team University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R), although she said Mindanao squads are also capable of pulling off a major surprise.
For his part, MLSDF executive director Eddie B. Ybañez has full confidence in the ability of USJ-R belles to excel, which is the main reason why he is fully backing up the team.
“I wish them good luck and hopefully they will be able to put up a good fight,” said Ybañez. — EBV