As the Chooks-To-Go Philippine Superliga (PSL) Invitational 2018 unravels on Saturday with a lavish opening ceremony paired with two opening matches at the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum (starting 3 p.m. aired LIVE on ESPN5, Aksyon TV, Hyper HD and EPSN5.com), the anticipation builds after almost two months of a very busy break between conferences that saw the league invade three provinces (Iloilo, Laguna and Benguet) and had teams scurrying for potential roster members in hopes of capturing the second gem this season.
Cignal is the defending champion, but with reigning MVP Jovelyn Gonzaga still out after season-ending knee surgery, the HD Spikers will have their hands full trying to repel the charges of nine other teams (10, if the national team is included).
F2 Logistics and Petron have gotten some of their missing pieces back from the Grand Prix, while Sta. Lucia has suddenly added some necessary firepower to its line-up. Cherrylume has returned and the University of the Philippines (UP) will be using this tournament to get ready for the upcoming UAAP season. Several waves were created with the signing of a phalanx of newbies, while the returning veterans are set to help their respective squads attain a serious run at Cignal's throne.
Here are five things we all need to watch out for as this unpredictable conference unfolds.
The Philippine women's volleyball team
It's not everyday that the finest volleybelles in the country get to compete as a unit in a televised tournament, but that's going to be the case as the RPWVT will use its exposure in this Invitational to get ready for the wars in Jakarta for the 2018 Asian Games this August and the Asian Women's Volleyball Cup in Nakhon Ratchasima this September. Of course, the ultimate goal will be in next year's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games which the Philippines will be hosting for the first time since 2005-wherein the women's team last medalled by garnering the bronze medal in Bacolod (led by PSL veterans Genie Sabas, Ging Balse, Maureen Penetrante-Ouano and Rubie de Leon).
The sidebar, however, may be bigger than the actual squad as iconic Alyssa Valdez and crafty playmaker Jia Morado were among the selections to the final roster by newly installed head coach Shaq de los Santos, but both will be unable to suit up for the national team in the tune-ups because of a scheduling conflict with Creamline, their mother team in the rival league Premier Volleyball League (PVL).
The games of the national team will not be included in the team standings and when going up against a player/s' mother club, the player/s will play for the mother club.
Here are the national team members (alphabetically):
Majoy Baron, 6'0" (MB-F2)
Cha Cruz-Behag, 5'8" (OS-F2)
Rhea Dimaculangan, 5'8" (S-Petron)-alternate
Kianna Kim Dy, 5'10" (UT-F2)
Kim Fajardo, 5'7" (S-F2)
Den-Den Lazaro, 5'7" (L-Cocolife)-alternate
Dawn Macandili, 5'2" (L-F2)
Aby Maraño, 5'9" (MB-F2)
Ces Molina, 5'11" (OS-Petron)
Jia Morado, 5'8" (S-Creamline/PVL)
Mika Reyes, 6'0" (MB-Petron)
Jaja Santiago, 6'6" (UT-Foton)
Din-Din Santiago-Manabat, 6'2" (OS-Foton)
Alyssa Valdez, 5'9" (OS-Creamline/PVL)
Head Coach: Shaq de los Santos (Petron)
The new faces
Jho Maraguinot and Bea de Leon detonated social media when word came out that they had signed with Sta. Lucia and Foton, respectively. The norm was that once Ateneo varsity players were done with their eligibility, they would automatically play in the PVL. Well, the Lady Eagle pair did neither as they actually still had one more year to play for their college but opted to bring their talents to the PSL.
Sta. Lucia is the team that had made the most player acquisitions during the break; signing not only the Batangas lass but also the explosive Far Eastern University (FEU) duo of Chin-Chin Basas and Jeanette Villareal while also attaining the services of serve specialist and head-turner Carly Hernandez from the Lady Tamaraws. There were also Instagram posts of the team training with beach volleyball sensation DM Demontaño as the Iloilo native is touted to bring a different dimension in the libero spot (which has Kristine Magallanes as its lone floor patroller).
Maraguinot-a member of the Philippine U23 team-will be playing against de Leon for the first time ever when the 5'11" ace teams up with the Santiago Sisters (now playing in the wing positions) to fortify the tallest frontline in the league. De Leon (also a U23 campaigner), who was an integral part of Ateneo's second UAAP championship run, will allow Jaja and Dindin to slide to their new found slots on the team and show uncompromising defense at the forefront for the Tornadoes.
Michelle Cobb will also be debuting as Kim Fajardo's primary back-up for F2 and many aficionados feel that the De La Salle University (DLSU) pair could end up splitting time as the Cargo Movers' orchestrators. Cobb, who narrowly lost out to rival and close friend Deanna Wong of Ateneo for the Best Setter accolade in the recently concluded Season 80 of the UAAP, brings the same toughness exhibited by Fajardo only in a smaller, more compact package. It's with her services that the 19-year-old academic scholar makes the biggest impact and it wouldn't be such a farfetched idea to have her and Fajardo together in the stretch.
There are still some roster spots available at this moment, so it wouldn't be a much of a surprise to see more collegiate stars join a team right before opening day.
The returning players
With the women's collegiate season over, the PSL regulars have gone back to their respective mother teams. This was the case in the tailend of the Grand Prix when Jaja Santiago and Majoy Baron cracked their squads' playoff rosters and now most of them are back in their "summer jobs". Kianna Kim Dy and Dawn Macandili return to give F2 Logistics a shot in the arm after the Cargo Movers fell short in their title defense efforts last conference and with four teammates also being named to the national team, the pressure is on KKD and "Miss Everywhere" to help coach Ramil de Jesus to a new championship. Of course, Petron (the new Grand prix queens) also reacquired its pintsized offensive threats when Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons went on to sweep the opposition en route to defending its Beach Volleyball crown recently and with all eyes on F2 and the taller Foton Tornadoes, the Rondina-Pons could help alleviate the scoring from national team selectees Mika Reyes and Ces Molina and give veteran setter Rhea Dimaculangan a few more options.
Former Cherrylume center Roselle Baliton has also re-emerged but in a different uniform as she is one of the Lady realtors' additions-but now in the guise of a setter. Her former college coach Francis Vicente at the University of the East (UE) had been hinting for years that Baliton was being groomed as a playmaker and to see the line-up with the 6'1" pagoda now listed as a setter is quite intriguing. Baliton will be sharing the orchestrating duties with veteran Rubie de Leon and national team candidate Rebecca Rivera for Sta. Lucia this conference.
UE and UP
The Lady Warriors showed so much improvement this UAAP Season (beating eventual champions DLSU in the eliminations was a major feat) that they can only get better with the exposure they will be getting in the PSL Invitational once again under the name of Cherrylume (their 2016 partner). The line-up is intact from the UAAP and they are officially the youngest team in the competition with only player (former Cignal HD reserve Jana Sta. Maria) above the age of twenty.
The University of the Philippines (UP) will also be hoping to attain the necessary experience points to redeem themselves from a dismal showing in UAAP Season 80 by recalling stalwarts Isa Molde and Tots Carlos from Foton and getting the whole team back together to give Kenyan mentor Godfrey Okumu a better look at the team that has so much potential. The Lady Maroons have partnered up with United Auctioneers this conference.
These two "guest" teams could ruffle more than a few feathers as they have completely nothing to lose and so much to gain by being in the mix.
Cignal's title defense efforts
It is always interesting to see how a champion does to keep its throne. Without Gonzaga (and back-up attacker Janine Marciano-also out with the same ACL tear), the HD Spikers lose valuable points and defensive prowess. However, Coach Edgar Barroga has hinted that skipper Rachel Anne Daquis will be more involved in the offense. It will be remembered that Daquis, 30, was on and off during the Grand Prix due to several nagging injuries and has worked very hard during the break to tone up.
On defense, it will still be perennial Best Libero campaigner Jheck Dionela who will be tasked to mop the floor with her jersey, but the addition of former De La Salle Dasmariñas star libero Cindy Amutan helps the floor defense tremendously. Janine Navarro and Mumay Vivas have now fully embraced their Middle Hitter roles giving Cignal a bit of a speed edge while Mylene Paat is slowly rekindling her abilities as the team's full time Utility Spiker. If Acy Masangkay can set optimally to Daquis and her young core, then the HD Spikers might just be in for a re-coronation.
However, with F2 Logistics and Petron at full strength, Foton getting longer, Generika-Ayala now fully imbibing Coach Sherwin Meneses' system, Cocolife still kicking it with the seasoned warriors, Smart Prepaid getting some help from the Philippine Army, the Lady Realtors going after fresh talent and the two collegiate squads packing a punch, Cignal will have its hands full trying to repel the opposition. We're not even talking about the national team yet.
One thing's for sure: it will be the most entertaining PSL Invitationals ever-even if no foreign teams are on the menu.
See you at the matches.