The Philippine Super Liga Grand Prix 2017 kicked off to a promising start Saturday October 21 at the San Juan Arena aka the Fil Oil Flying V Centre as four teams spiced up with imports saw action. Petron wins over Generika in the opener while Foton defeated Cignal HD in the second game.
This conference the nine teams suited up for action are:
1. Cignal HD Spikers
2. Cocolife Asset Managers
3. F2 Logistics Cargo Movers
4. Foton Tornadoes
5. Generika Ayala Lifesavers
6. Iriga City Oragons
7. Petron Blaze Spikers
8. Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors
9. UST Golden Tigresses
The teams are allowed three imports each to level up their games. These highly touted reinforcements are expected to shook the power rankings as they balance the composition of the teams. The road will be long as teams play a single round robin in the eliminations to a knockout format in the quarters and semi finals. The battle for gold is a best of three.
Open spikers Sara Klisura (Serbia) and Dragana Perunicic (Montenegro) adds depth to the formidable Foton frontcourt of Jaja Santiago, Maika Ortiz, Rosario, EJ Laure and Dindin Manabat while Katarina Vukomanovic (Serbia) the defense specialist mentors local Libero Jen Reyes. As you know second and third string players should always be ready for a call up to play.
Petron, riding high from their All Filipino title last conference, is the dark horse of the tournament. Their calling card is defense so the key is when Hillary Hurley (USA), Lindsay Stalzer (USA) and Yuri Fukuda (JPN) meshes with the locals. Mika Reyes is an excellent blocker so she can learn more offense from the imports. And vice versa. Aiza Pontillas, Ces Molina, Rhea Dimaculangan, Remy Palma and Ria Meneses are in the same mold. Cherry Rondina and Bang Pineda are pinch hitters.
The young Santa Lucia Lady Realtors are looking for identity so they are experimenting on the plays. They look on Mar Jana Phillips to carry the team to new heights with her controlled spikes ably assisted by Captain Djanel Cheng, Rebecca Rivera, Shirley Salamagos and Rialen Sante. Marisa Field (Canada) along with Bohdana Anisova (Ukraine) and Kristen Moncks (Canada) would help glue the team.
Cignal's troika of enlisted Philippine Army personnel Rachel Ann Daquis, Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rose Tubino tries to climb the ladder board as they beef up with imports Alexis Mathews (USA), Beth Louise Carey (AUS) and Mami Miyashita (Japan).
Generika gambled on bringing in setter Penina Snuka (USA), middle blocker Darlene Ramdin (Trinidad & Tobago) and open spiker Katarina Pilepic (Croatia) since they should take a chunk of playing time. So you make do with the cards you are dealth with. Angeli Araneta, Fiona Ceballos, Gen Casugod and Chloe Cortez should pick up their games.
F2 Logistics will always be a title contender. Watch out when Maria Perez (Venezuela) and Kennedy Bryan (USA) joins the talented bunch. As you know PH National Team mainstays Kim Fajardo, Abby Marano, Dawn Macandili and Kim Dy play here.
Cocolife is an enigma. They would play good games here and there but their eyes should be on the prize. Captain Michelle Gumabao is a winner so we wanna see that happen in the pros. So with veteran setter Tina Salak coming out of retirement is good for the team. Pray they are not clashing heads. Taylor Milton (USA) and Shar Manu Olevao (USA) are the imports tasked to elevate their play.
The Iriga team has quite a following. Feisty Gretchel Soltones, college MVP and one of the Premiere Volleyball League superstars, teams up with Kmezic Tamara (Croatia), Saam Miyagawa (Japan) and Minami Yoshioka (Japan). This is their debut to the PSL so be patient with the Oragons as they build the foundations. Expect a sixth to eight place finish.
The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses will be fielding in an all filipino college team so as to represent. What makes this team hum? You have to watch them to find out. What we know is they would play without imports. That makes their games an exhibition type. They will finish last.
This conference the nine teams suited up for action are:
1. Cignal HD Spikers
2. Cocolife Asset Managers
3. F2 Logistics Cargo Movers
4. Foton Tornadoes
5. Generika Ayala Lifesavers
6. Iriga City Oragons
7. Petron Blaze Spikers
8. Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors
9. UST Golden Tigresses
The teams are allowed three imports each to level up their games. These highly touted reinforcements are expected to shook the power rankings as they balance the composition of the teams. The road will be long as teams play a single round robin in the eliminations to a knockout format in the quarters and semi finals. The battle for gold is a best of three.
Open spikers Sara Klisura (Serbia) and Dragana Perunicic (Montenegro) adds depth to the formidable Foton frontcourt of Jaja Santiago, Maika Ortiz, Rosario, EJ Laure and Dindin Manabat while Katarina Vukomanovic (Serbia) the defense specialist mentors local Libero Jen Reyes. As you know second and third string players should always be ready for a call up to play.
Petron, riding high from their All Filipino title last conference, is the dark horse of the tournament. Their calling card is defense so the key is when Hillary Hurley (USA), Lindsay Stalzer (USA) and Yuri Fukuda (JPN) meshes with the locals. Mika Reyes is an excellent blocker so she can learn more offense from the imports. And vice versa. Aiza Pontillas, Ces Molina, Rhea Dimaculangan, Remy Palma and Ria Meneses are in the same mold. Cherry Rondina and Bang Pineda are pinch hitters.
The young Santa Lucia Lady Realtors are looking for identity so they are experimenting on the plays. They look on Mar Jana Phillips to carry the team to new heights with her controlled spikes ably assisted by Captain Djanel Cheng, Rebecca Rivera, Shirley Salamagos and Rialen Sante. Marisa Field (Canada) along with Bohdana Anisova (Ukraine) and Kristen Moncks (Canada) would help glue the team.
Cignal's troika of enlisted Philippine Army personnel Rachel Ann Daquis, Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rose Tubino tries to climb the ladder board as they beef up with imports Alexis Mathews (USA), Beth Louise Carey (AUS) and Mami Miyashita (Japan).
Generika gambled on bringing in setter Penina Snuka (USA), middle blocker Darlene Ramdin (Trinidad & Tobago) and open spiker Katarina Pilepic (Croatia) since they should take a chunk of playing time. So you make do with the cards you are dealth with. Angeli Araneta, Fiona Ceballos, Gen Casugod and Chloe Cortez should pick up their games.
F2 Logistics will always be a title contender. Watch out when Maria Perez (Venezuela) and Kennedy Bryan (USA) joins the talented bunch. As you know PH National Team mainstays Kim Fajardo, Abby Marano, Dawn Macandili and Kim Dy play here.
Cocolife is an enigma. They would play good games here and there but their eyes should be on the prize. Captain Michelle Gumabao is a winner so we wanna see that happen in the pros. So with veteran setter Tina Salak coming out of retirement is good for the team. Pray they are not clashing heads. Taylor Milton (USA) and Shar Manu Olevao (USA) are the imports tasked to elevate their play.
The Iriga team has quite a following. Feisty Gretchel Soltones, college MVP and one of the Premiere Volleyball League superstars, teams up with Kmezic Tamara (Croatia), Saam Miyagawa (Japan) and Minami Yoshioka (Japan). This is their debut to the PSL so be patient with the Oragons as they build the foundations. Expect a sixth to eight place finish.
The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses will be fielding in an all filipino college team so as to represent. What makes this team hum? You have to watch them to find out. What we know is they would play without imports. That makes their games an exhibition type. They will finish last.
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