Hot, aggressive start to decide V-League finals

THE SUDDEN death  match between  the Ateneo Lady Eagles and the National University Lady Bulldogs scheduled  at 3 p.m. today at the Philsports Arena in Pasig will decide  if the 10 year-old  Shakey’s V-League  will have a “three-peater” or a new champion.

“What do you think will happen tomorrow,” I asked  the expert,  volleyball analyst for television Mozzy Ravena yesterday, eve of the finals showdown.

A former  varsity  volleybelle of the University of Santo Tomas who   plays middle, utility and spiker,  Mozzy has been on the sportscasting panel of the V-League since Day 1. She played from 1988 to 1992, during the era when  volleyball players wore skimpy shorts.

Next to being the wife of Talk ‘N Text assistant coach Bong Ravena, Mozzy is best known as the mother of  Ateneo cage star Kiefer Ravena.

***

Mozzy was noncommittal as she paused for a moment to review the  championship scenario.

“It’s really hard to predict,” she said. “Ateneo and NU both won one game apiece in identical fashion: Lopsided three straight sets. I expected the games in this series to go down the wire—five  sets each for both, but it didn’t happen.”

The way Mozzy looks at it, the team that starts out hot and aggressive will win the match and the title.

“I’m basing my forecast on the trend established in the first two games of the series,”  she said.

“My observation is, whoever gets ahead in the beginning will have the advantage, because the opponent easily  loses heart, gets discouraged. Or so it seems.”

***

Like most of  us, Mozzy marvels at how volleyball has suddenly grown in  popularity.

I do not remember her explanation, but she said today’s game at Philsports will determine  if we are ready to compete internationally.

She said she couldn’t tell for sure  if a national team would finally be formed,

“But I strongly believe now is the time to form one. We have the materials—our players are very tall, several of them standing over 6 feet,  they have the skill and training. Unless we compete internationally, we will not know how good we  really are,” Mozzy said, adding that we have an abundance of  players  who have graduated from the collegiate ranks and the Shakey’s V-League.

Mozzy said she was surprised to find out that in the MVP Cup alone,  there are 10 volleyball teams  from MVP-owned companies like Maynilad, Meralco, PLDT, Smart, Sun, NLEX, TV5, Makati Medical Center, Cardinal Santos Hospital, etc. competing in year-round tournaments.

“At least the volleyball players can indulge in their passion even after their college days. They are given jobs in the company and become regular employees, so they can have an income.”

***

Mozzy finished two courses in college. She has a diploma  in medical technology and another in education. She is actually a licensed educator, although she  never got the chance  to make use of what she has studied. She ended up being a full-time housewife and mother, not necessarily in that order.

Mozzy and Bong have three kids—Kiefer 19, Thirdy 16, and Dani, who’s into volleyball, 13.

Thirdy was  in the Philippine team that  won the gold in the Fiba-Asia

16-under Three-on-Three competition held in Bangkok recently. Also in that team are Arvin Tolentino, Prince Rivero and Kobe Paras, younger son of Benjie.