PLDT Home Ultera’s victory in the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Open Conference on Sunday is a major morale booster for Team Philippines’s women’s volleyball campaign in the Singapore 28th Southeast Asia Games.
“It gives us something to feel good about,” said PLDT Home Ultera Head Coach Roger Gorayeb moments after his wards beat Army in the no-tomorrow Game Three, 25-22, 18-25, 24-26, 28-26, 15-13, at the jam-packed Arena in San Juan.
Gorayeb is also the head coach of the national women’s team—known as Amihan—in the Singapore Southeast Asian (Sea) Games. The volleyball competitions start on June 10.
Amihan is composed of PLDT stalwarts Alyssa Valdez, Jaja Santiago, Gretchel Soltones and Denden Lazaro, and Army’s talented troika of Jovelyn Gonzaga, Dindin Santiago-Manabat and Rachel Ann Daquis. The other members of the squad are Air Force’s Rhea Dimaculangan and Maika Ortiz, Ateneo’s Jia Morado and Bea de Leon, and Meralco’s Aby Marano.
Cagayan Valley’s Aiza Maizo-Pontillas is a reserve and an assistant coach, while Ricky Palou is the team manager. After edging Army to annex its first Shakey’s V-League crown, PLDT Home Ultera couldn’t wait to take on another challenge and contend for another championship in the Reinforced Conference later this year.
“Hopefully, we can do it again,” Gorayeb said. “Teams are allowed to field in a maximum of two imports so we expect a different ball game.”
Gorayeb is also hoping to keep his current stellar roster, headed by reigning conference Most Valuable Player (MVP) Valdez and Finals MVP Santiago.
“For now, we don’t know what will happen to my players. But you’re going to ask me, I want to keep them all for the next conference,” Gorayeb said.
The recent Shakey’s V-League finals drew an overflow crowd of 5,425, while thousands more watched the classic duel on TV, underlining the sport’s tremendous popularity the last few years.
Image credits: Stephanie Tumampos