Philippine women’s volleyball takes center stage once again as the Premiere Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference kicked off yesterday, Saturday (Jan. 31) at the Filoil Playtime Centre in San Juan. Competition is promising, with a mix of familiar powerhouse teams and retooled ones eager to challenge; all jockeying for position in this most prestigious All-Filipino Conference in the country.
With the departure of heavyweight contenders Petro Gazz and Chery Tiggo, both of which took a leave of absence after years of exemplary service in the league, the field is now down to 10 teams. The redistribution of their top players has made competition wide open, making this season’s conference perhaps the most exciting and unpredictable ever. This has been the busiest off-season ever for the league as teams scampered to acquire the best and the brightest from the 2 disbandments, plus there were other player movements that seemingly were off the radar.
Topping the list of early favorites in this All-Filipino quest are the Creamline Cool Smashers and the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, both of whom fared badly last season, and are hell-bent on redeeming themselves.
The Creamline Cool Smashers came up empty-handed last year, after a dominant Grand Slam season the year prior. This time, the Cool Smashers are seeking vengeance, with 8-time Best Setter awardee Jia Morada De Guzman returning after a successful stint in Japan’s volleyball league. Apart from Jia, there’s the return of former MVP Bernadeth Pons, fresh from a gold-medal campaign in the SEA Games beach volleyball tourney; and the return of multi-talented and another former MVP, Jema Galanza, who is coming back from a long-term foot injury. The re-entry of these 3 outstanding national-caliber players – a stellar setter plus 2 versatile offensive threats – will certainly boost the Cool Smashers’ redemption campaign. Plus, there’s another under-the-radar acquisition in Jen Nierva, a seasoned libero with international experience under her belt.
The Choco Mucho Flying Titans, long-time arch-rivals of the Cool Smashers, enter the court with a huge upscale in their offensive line with the return of Sisi Rondina, the mercurial offensive bombardier who was also a mainstay in the Philippine women’s beach volleyball team that captured the gold-medal in the SEA Games last December. In addition to Sisi, the arrival of heavy hitter Eya Laure provides not just more offensive sock for the Flying Titans, she will be huge on the defensive end as we witnessed in her national team forays. Adding these 2 dynamic scoring threats creates more exciting opportunities to an already stacked frontline for the Titans.
In yesterday’s opening conference opening match, the Flying Titans demonstrated a renewed vigor in demolishing an equally dangerous Akari Chargers side 25-17, 25-23, 25-20. The explosive attacks were on point, with Sisi and Eya leading the charge. Sisi’s gravity-defying hits, and Eya’s booming barrage wowed a large crowd that packed the Fil-oil Playtime Centre. In yesterday’s other featured game, the Cignal Super Spikers turned back the Galeries Tower Highrisers 25-17, 25-14, 25-11, highlighting stronger cohesion and chemistry over the Highrisers massive off-season overhaul move. Cignal unveiled a faster attack, after a successful training camp in Japan right before the season.
Looming as another favorite is the revitalized NXLed Chameleons, who were the biggest winners with the exit of the 2 disbanding teams. Joining the Chameleons are former MVPs Brooke Van Sickle and MJ Philips, plus veterans Aby Marano and Myla Pablo. These add-ons will add more experience and explosive firepower in an already heavy-hitting frontline. Coach Etorre Guidetti’s ‘pleasant’ problem here will be how to give everyone playing time, with the wealth of talent that was infused recently.
All the other teams enjoyed similar upgrades in their roster, though not as significant. Expect these 3 heavies to be in the thick of the action in the volley wars ahead. As the league kicks off, experts still pick Creamline as the team to beat, owing to their championship pedigree and experience. Jia’s return adds a different level of setter-hitter chemistry, establishing an instinctive synchronization that will be the envy of other squads.
But the beauty of the game lies in the on-court chess match – the reads, the adjustments, the counterstrikes. The initial skirmishes will tell us how the new recruits fit into the present mold. For the new teams, the arrival of veterans who have championship experience will help create a winners’ culture. The opening salvo delivered in providing suspense, strategy and spectacular plays that should define how the season grows. Set your calendars and tune in to your faorite teams serve and smash. The season is unfolding, and these games will surely be entertaining. Watch closely and witness the ball fly.
Cover pic courtesy of PVL.ph. Other pics courtesy of Rappler, GMA Network, PVL, Tiebreaker Times, Sports Bytes Phil, Tempo, Inq Sports. For a closer look, just click on the pics.
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