Shakey's V-League Players

Liss Gohing is a five-time Champion libero with DLSU in the UAAP

St. Benilde's libero Rica Enclona meshed looks with abilities

Stephanie Gabriel was Ateneo's libero

Women’s volleyball Philippines

Philippines volleyball stars (from left): Angeli Tabaquero, Suzanne Roces, Nerissa Bautista, Michelle Carolino, Mary Jean Balse, Rachel Anne Daquis, Charo Soriano, Angela Benting and Alyssa Valdez

MANILA, Philippines — Women’s volleyball popularity in the Philippines are rising despite being a basketball country.

The reason for the rise in the popularity of women’s volleyball comes from the V-League, which is created by a group called Sports Vision. Sports Vision was founded by Ricky Palou, Moying Martelino and the late former Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Jun Bernardino who had deep roots in basketball.

The Shakey’s V-League gave collegiate stars now have a mainstream audience to showcase their skills, not to mention their own cult following in their respective schools.

“It was Shakey’s that showed faith in women’s volleyball,” said Gretchen Ho, Cainglet’s equally popular Ateneo teammate.

The players felt the tournament’s impact immediately.

“I was surprised when people came to watch us play,” said Suzanne Roces, the former star of the San Sebastian volleyball varsity program, speaking of her early days in the V-League. “Before, the only people who would watch us play were our schoolmates.”

Roces, Cainglet and Ho are just part of the stable of stars that the V-League has produced. University of Santo Tomas’ Mary Jean Balse and Angeli Tabaquero, Ateneo’s Charo Soriano and Alyssa Valdez, Far Eastern University’s Rachel Anne Daquis, La Salle’s Michelle Carolino and Adamson’s Angela Benting have also crossed over to mainstream consciousness because of the Shakey’s tournament. Daquis, has also been seen in the modeling world.


While the V-League gave the collegiate stars and the sport even more popularity, it was a college game that amplified that popularity.


“The rivalry really helped add to the hype for women’s volleyball,” Ho said in a television interview.

Read more: http://sports.inquirer.net/101779/womens-volleyball-rises-in-ph#ixzz2UUIbfTEb

NU Lady Bulldogs in Finals vs Ateneo, defeats Adamson in four

The NU Lady Bulldogs will be going to the Finals of the 10th season of the Shakey’s V-League after a four-set victory, 24-26, 25-20, 25-15 and 25-22 against the Adamson Lady Falcons last Sunday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Adamson had first prevailed last May 14 in five sets (22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 22-25, 15-13) earlier, before NU evened things up on May 16, also after the game went the distance (20-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-21, 15-12).

The Lady Bulldogs led the game early in the first set, 8-5, using their impenetrable blocking. The length advantage of Dindin and Jaja Santiago, Myla Pablo and Carmina Aganon is too much for Adamson as the Lady Bulldogs increased their lead to six at 12-6. Adamson tied to catch up behind Pau Soriano and Shiela Pineda but it fall short.

Dindin Santiago of the Lady Bulldogs lead all players with 24 markers. Myla Pablo chipped in 20, while Carmina Aganon had 11.

Rubie De Leon was able to garner six points while dishing out 37 excellent sets.

Adamson's Pau Soriano had team-high 19 points in the loss, Mylene Paat scored 11.

NU will face the defending champions Ateneo Lady Eagles in the finals, having beaten them in three sets in the elimination round. The best-of-three series begins Thursday at the SM MOA Arena at 4pm, with the battle for third place between Adamson and UST taking place first at 2pm.

Philippines bag gold medals in Pan-Asian BJJ tilt

MANILA, Philippines - 2 Filipino fighters outclassed their rivals to win gold medals on the first day of the 2013 Pan Asian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu International in Pasay City last Saturday.

Jerry Legaspi of Team Kamphius-Fabricio won against Taffy Gutu of Hongkong using a jumping guillotine choke in the finals.

The 37-year-old Muay-Thai instructor Edmund Lauron of Gracie Bara Westchase and Lali Jochman of Kreation JJ-Singapore on is way to the finals.

Legaspi’s team mate Stephen Salazar made double for the Filipinos by securing a close 3-2 decision against Neil Tan in the finals of the Male Masters Blue belt division.

Salazar needed to beat Hideaki Sakamoto of Japan for a titular showdown versus Tan.