Volleyball’s sterling resurgence

Volleyball fans are in for a huge treat in the Shakey’s V-League Open Conference championship rubber match this Sunday.

On one side of the net, an Army crew of volleyball reliables and up-and-coming stars. They took Game 1 in four sets, throwing gritty defensive webs against Alyssa Valdez and the other PLDT Home Ultera hot hands. It’s never easy to stop Valdez but giving her and her teammates three pairs of hands as an initial defensive wall helps deflect the ball or return it to sender.

Despite losing their focus in Game 2 because of perceived officiating slips, the Lady Troopers should still have some momentum going into the final showdown. The veterans such as setter Tina Salak, Nene Bautista and Ging Balse will need the support of their younger teammates like Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachel Anne Dacquis to kick up their offensive firepower.

Sure, stopping Valdez is near to impossible because the league MVP is going to get her points any which way. In Game 2, she escaped with 26 points, defying almost every imaginable defensive web. But you still have to try to put up a wall if you’re Army rather than nothing at all. In two games, Army has scored on 19 blocks even if Valdez escaped with 20-plus games.

On the other side is the young PLDT crew, not exactly oozing with chemistry but with a sufficient core anchored on three players of the recent under-23 Asian tournament: Gretchel Soltones, Jaja Santiago and Valdez. When in harmony with conference best setter Rubie De Leon, the three can unleash devastating power.

In Game 2, the Ultra Fast Spikers outscored the Lady Troopers: They had more spikes, 47-37, and points off the serve, 10-5. They went toe-to-toe in blocks with the Lady Troopers, with both scoring 11 apiece. PLDT also received better, keeping the ball in play with 29 receptions against Army’s 20.

Winning the title could lie on the surprise package each side unloads on the other.  For Army, it could come from either Honey Rose Tubino or Bautista. Tubino needs the confidence of a few early kills to keep her in tune with the game. Bautista, a utility player, is a microwave off the bench, able to post points quickly regardless of when she’s inserted in the game.

For PLDT, the return of former Ateneo Lady Eagle Charo Soriano in the middle has been most welcome. Hobbled by an ankle injury that forced her out of Game 1, she bucked the pain and returned to her slot in Game 2. She provided blocking and scored off floating balls or what local volleyball calls regalo or gifts.

The game will be a fan’s festival of idols and great performances. My broadcast partner Mozzy Ravena, who has seen the sport grow over the last 12 years, from the days when only a handful would watch to today’s games in jam-packed venues, likes to call the stream of games “happy volleyball.”

Indeed, the fans will be happy to get great games and volleyball will continue its sterling resurgence.

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