The opening ceremonies were definitely the most unique the league has had in its five-year existence and when the dust settled from all the pomp and pageantry of the Indonesian themed undertaking, the matches commenced with the Smart Araneta Coliseum rocking to the return of the Chooks-to-Go Philippine Superliga (PSL) Invitational barely weeks after the success of its Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup.
What was interesting was the number of supporters who descended upon The Big Dome cheering for the newest team in the league: United Auctioneers-University of the Philippines (UA-UP) as the Lady Maroons opened the tournament against the veterans of Generika-Ayala.
The Lifesavers finished fourth in last season's staging of this conference and coming off a dismal seventh place showing in the Grand Prix had several noticeable changes in their line-up: Bang Pineda was back as spiker for the first team with her new team (she was a spiker when she was still with Petron) and two of their three new faces debuted as the former University of the East pair of setter Laizah Bendong and libero Kath Arado took to the Teraflex.
Other than that, Generika-Ayala still had the core intact but were going up against a team that many had only seen on TV during the UAAP 80 season. In fact, there were so many freshmen in the Lady Maroons' line-up that it hardly even looked like the UP squad that ended up in sixth place in that tournament.
The atmosphere was akin to a collegiate match when the UP faithful came out in full force, making the Lifesavers' supporters seem sparse.
But Generika-Ayala stuck to their guns in the first two sets and were ironically led by the former skipper of the Lady Maroons as Angeli Araneta (now donning the captain's stripe for the Lifesavers) erupted for a career-high 26 markers as the former number two overall pick picked her spots with great efficiency and with timely hits coming from former University of St. La Salle-Bacolod ace Patty Orendain (who scored eighteen points), the veterans survived a close first set and walloped their young opponents in the second canto, 25-23, 25-9.
But then when the regular rotations started to take effect by the third set, the Lady Maroons showed that new Head Coach Godfrey Okumu's planted seed a mere months ago had already begun to bear fruit as his old reliable Isa Molde and skipper Ayel Estrañero began leading the charge to take command of the third set-leading by even as many as six points in one portion.
Newcomers Lorie Bernardo, Nikki Magsarile, Andreanne Lagman, Abi Goc and libero Rem Altomea just did a LeBron James (or Kobe Bryant, if you will) by jumping from high school straight to the pros and did quite well in their first time on the big stage.
In no time, Estrañero was able to distribute flawlessly to the incoming Lady Maroons and had them all contributing solidly to backstop the veterans.
Molde, as usual, was the go-to girl as the incoming senior churned out a team-high 15points, but it was Magsarile, the 18-year-old from the National University (NU) high school program, dazzled after shaking off the cobwebs in the second set en route to 11 points, including the point that gave the Lady Maroons the third set, 25-23.
Araneta, Orendain and UST pagoda Ria Meneses buckled down to it in the fourth set to finally put away UA-UP, but that opening-day performance was worth an encore for the youngsters from Diliman as they now gear up for their next outing against reigning Grand Prix champions Petron on July 7.
However, the most impressive debut of opening day belonged to two-time PSL queens F2 Logistics as they brandished their starting unit composed of all six of its national team selectees and a former UAAP MVP in Ara Galang. Yes, national "kapitana" Aby Maraño, veteran outside hitter Cha Cruz-Behag, explosive opposite hitter Kim Kianna Dy, middle stalwart Majoy Baron, iconic setter Kim Fajardo and "Miss Everywhere" Dawn Macandili were in head coach Ramil de Jesus' initial line-up and showed all in attendance and those who witnessed on AksyonTV a glimpse of the chemistry that will be in full display starting this Tuesday (the national team's first assignment in the PSL Invitational against the new look Smart-Army Gigahitters).
But it was also the first ever official PSL game of one Bea de Leon for the opposing Foton Tornadoes Blue Energy and the former Ateneo de Manila University ace had her own personal cheering section all clad in her Foton jersey (that was some quick merchandising).
It was supposed to be a grind between the all La Salle Cargo Movers versus the tallest line-up in the league starring de Leon (5'11"), skipper Maika Ortiz (5'10"), former second overall pick CJ Rosario (6'1"), and the Santiago sisters of Jaja (6'6") and Din-Din (6'2").
The experience of F2 was tremendous and just by reinserting Baron, Dy and Macandili (the trio skipped the Grand Prix due to school responsibilities) they instantly looked like championship material.
Fajardo-who secured Co-Player of the Game honors with Cruz-Behag-didn't have her usual gaudy numbers in terms of setting proficiency, but her playmaking impacted all who joined her on the floor. Dy actually even led the team in scoring as its lone double-figure producer with ten points, but the points were so scattered that one can see that F2 Logistics system at full efficiency. They diffused Foton's height advantage in various ways and now have some aficionados talking sweep this early.
This is the only conference that the Cargo Movers have not experienced a coronation as they were the 2016 All-Filipino titlists and reached the pinnacle in the 2017 Grand Prix. Could 2018 finally get them the Invitational plum?
Their next encounter happens on July 5th against the same Generika-Ayala team they scouted earlier on.
Meanwhile-for the first time this season-there will be a Monday game (June 25th) at the Filoil Flying-V Centre in San Juan City as four more teams debut with the second collegiate entry Cherrylume-University of the East (UE) going up against the revamped Cocolife Asset Managers at 4:15PM followed by the tiff between the Smart-Army Gigahitters (yes, the Lady Troopers have reconvened again) and the "busy" Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors; parading seven new faces, including one Jho Maraguinot (formerly of the Lady Eagles) at 7:00PM.
I will be broadcasting the first game LIVE on ESPN5, so catch the action of Day 2 of the PSL Invitational right here with on all our ESPN5 platforms.