MANILA, Philippines - University of St. La Salle-Bacolod came away with a pair of straight-set victories to set in motion its title-retention drive in the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball League Tournament of Champions at the USLS gym in Bacolod last Monday.
The hosts survived a tough stand by the Pajo National High School tossers, winners of the Cebu regionals, 25-18, 25-14, 25-19, then came back hours later to beat Iloilo regional champion Central Philippine University, 25-19, 25-21, 25-9, to lead the six-team final cast of the league sponsored by Shakey’s.
Earlier, commissioner Chito Loyzaga of the Philippine Sports Commission, Barbie Ocampo, marketing manager of Shakey’s, Roger Banzuela of Negros Occidental Volleyball Association, Freddie Infante of the organizing Metro Sports and tournament director Johanz Buenvenida graced the opening of the event which gathers the winners of the various regional tournaments of the league featuring the sport’s leading junior players and future stars.
National Capital Region champion Hope Christian High School, with NCR MVP Carol Cerveza on the firing end, also hung tough to repulse a stubborn Davao National High School, 25-23, 25-22, 25-18, with the charges of coach Jerry Yee bracing for a showdown with the defending champions today.
Pajo NHS, handled by coach Fr. Rolly Manayon, rebounded from an earlier loss to USLS as it subdued Tacloban regional champion New Ormoc High School, 25-4, 25-19, 25-17, to remain in the title hunt in the tournament backed by LBC, Toby’s Sports, Mikasa, Asics and Metro Sports.
Action heats up today with a heavy five-game bill, featuring the USLS-Hope Christian collision at 4:30 p.m. in what is tipped to be a preview of the championship.
Hope CHS is also set to play Ormoc NHS in the 9 a.m. opener while USLS takes on Davao NHS at 10:30 a.m. Iloilo’s CPU squares off with Ormoc NHS at 1:30 p.m. and Davao NHS battles Cebu’s Pajo NHS at 3 p.m.