Thursday, February 01, 2007 Cesafi spikers hold own developmental tilt By Marian C. Baring Sun.Star Staff Reporter
THE volleyball teams of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation found an answer to basketball’s Partners Cup, as the M. Lhuillier Sports Development Foundation (MLSDF) stages the 2007 1st MLSDF All Ladies Volleyball Tournament next weekend in Lilo-an.
MLSDF director Eddie Ybañez said during the organizational meeting Tuesday night, that just as the Partners Cup serves as a competition outside the Cesafi season, this volleyball competition also holds the same objective.
The Partner’s Cup, which is set to open this Sunday at the Cebu Coliseum, was purposely created so that there will be no hiatus for collegiate basketball teams between Cesafi seasons.
The all-ladies competition is also an answer to Manila’s Shakey’s V League and Petron Ladies Beach volleyball tournaments.
“After the Cesafi, there won’t be other events the players could compete in.
In basketball, at least, you see a lot of tournaments around,” Ybañez said during the meeting, which was attended by coaches Raffy Briones of University of the Visayas (UV), Grace Antigua of University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), Thelma Datig of Southwestern University (SWU), Jordan Paca of University of Southern Philippine-Foundation (USP-F) and Norvie Labuga of University of San Carlos (USC).
Developmental
Organizers will hold the beach volleyball competitions first in Wiggy’s in Lilo-an on Feb. 10-11, before the hardcourt action later this month.
“We want this to be a developmental competition just like what happens in basketball events,” Ybañez added.
The beach volleyball event, which is an open invitational tournament, has attracted five school-based duos plus Hiroshi and newly formed team, JMM.
Hiroshi will be skippered by incumbent Gov. Cup MVP Florian Gutierrez, who at the last minute decided to join the competition together with Davao’s Liezel Manatad.
JMM is a collaboration of national beach volleyball champion Janeth Ponte, with national runners up Mechelle Matuguina and Marissa Lagancia.
Tandems
SWU will field in Maritess Natad and new partner Janelle Tabio, while USP will have sisters Erika and Yvonne Verano. USJ-R will be represented by the comebacking Julette Mariquit and former RP team member Genie Sabas.
Cherrymie Montalbo and Kim Ybañez will play for USC, while Janez Armie Igot and 2005 Gov Cup MVP Jusabello Brillo man the UV team.
Ybañez also added that he will have the tournament sanctioned by the Cebu Volleyball Association.
“It will be better to have a non-partisan official take management of the tournament so that we will not have any troubles in the future,” said Ybañez.
MLSDF will also formally inform Cesafi commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy about the developments of the tournament and to get his blessings as well.
The registration fee for the beach competition is P500, which will be used for the cash prizes of the event. No cash prize will be offered in the indoor contest.
Antigua, who had steered USJ-R to a number of titles also said that it is a positive development as it will prepare the Cebu teams for the Nestea Beach Volleyball Regional Eliminations, which is slated on March 27 in Metro Manila.
