MANDAUE City team captain Sheila Mae Kiseo promised to do her best to give her teammates and hometown a title before she will leave for Manila to play for Far Eastern University (FEU).
She fulfilled her promise. Mandaue City snagged the 1st Governor’s Cup Volleyball Tournament title at home, beating Carcar City in straight sets, 25-17, 25-20, 25-18, in Game 2 in the Mandaue City Cultural and Sport Center yesterday.
Though Kiseo was the focal point of Mandaue City’s attack, her teammates had a share of the offense and delivered down the stretch in all the three sets.
Mandaue City displayed their killer instincts in the third set; tied at 18-all, Mandaue City thwarted Carcar City’s plan to extend it to a fourth set with an emphatic 8-0 blast anchored on Jolly Velazquez and Kiseo.
Velazquez scored two aces on that run, including the game-clinching ace that was followed by a celebration from the Mandaue City crowd.
Kiseo, who’s set to leave for Manila on June 3, was named the tournament’s MVP for leading her team to a superb finals run. “I really promised to myself to give Mandaue City a title before I go to Manila,” said Kiseo.
Kiseo, a former University of San Jose Recoletos (USJ-R) spiker, showed class after the win, crediting teammates for the individual honors she got.
“This MVP is for all of us. I got this because of my teammates,” she said.
Mandaue City dominated the first set, 25-17. Carcar City responded in the second set with an early 6-2 lead but Mandaue City remained composed and fired off a 9-0 run to take an 11-6 edge.
The score was tied at 17-all before Mandaue City ended it with an 8-2 blitz to win the second set, 25-20 .
Mandaue City won the P300,000 cash prize, while the runner-up Carcar City bagged P200,000.
City head coach Jerry Pedriguez said that they really wanted to finish this in Game 2 since Kiseo will be leaving for Manila. He said that they plan to divide the cash prize among all the players and to refund their expenses in their out-of-town games.
Cebu Provincial Sports Commission executive director Atty. Ramil Abing said the tournament was a success and worthy of another season.
“There were scouts and some players were offered to play in a varsity team. That alone is a testament to the success of the tournament, he said.
Gov. Hilario Davide III said the Capitol will sustain the program for the youth.
“This program attracts youth to sports. I thank all the participants, the mayors from various cities and municipalities and also the players and coaches for showing sportsmanship,” he said.