A FANCIED team takes on a young, unpredictable squad when the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Open Conference fires off Saturday at Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.
Pocari Sweat, boasting a veteran cast led by former La Salle standouts Michelle Gumabao and Melissa Gohing, battles a University of the Philippines side fresh from a breakthrough run at 6:30 p.m.
“Most of the players have been together for about a year now, and we will be relying on that,” said Pocari manager Eric Ty.
National University, playing minus some of its key cogs, tackles newcomer Team Laoag in the other match at 4 p.m.
“We have to make do with what we have,” said NU coach Roger Gorayeb.
Organized by Sports Vision, the eight-team league will have its games aired live on ABS-CBN Sports+Action Channel 23.
Men’s action also gets going with Navy and Instituto Estetico Manila clashing at 1 p.m. in the second season of Spikers’ Turf.
Aside from Gumabao and Gohing, the Warriors tapped veterans Myla Pablo of NU and former Far Eastern U players Gyzelle Sy and Rose Vargas, who just all played their final season in the UAAP.
Ateneo coach Tai Bundit, who steered the Lady Eagles to two UAAP crowns, will call the shots for the Warriors.
But UP coach Jerry Yee expects his Lady Maroons to sustain their strong showing behind top rookies Isa Molde, Diana Mae Carlos and Justine Dorog.
“We’re here to gain as much experience as we can, but if we can beat some strong teams, we’ll take it,” said Yee.
Gorayeb, meanwhile, thinks the Lady Bulldogs can put up a fight even with the graduation of Pablo and Ivy Perez and the absence of Filipino-American Larni Abarin, a 5-foot-9 setter who is set to join the team next month.
Jaja Santiago, the Best Spiker in the recent UAAP season, heads NU’s campaign along with Jorelle Singh, Aiko Urdas and Filipino-Japanese rookie Raisa Sato.