La Salle vs. Ateneo two nights ago was a thriller! Ricci Rivero dunked. Isaac Go scored another game-winning three. Watched by 22,012 fans inside the Araneta Coliseum, the game was a seesaw contest that saw Ben Mbala, formerly a Cebu resident, playing against Kris Porter, a Cebuano. Three-pointers were easily converted like it was the NBA. What a high quality game to end the UAAP basketball season.
VOLLEYBALL. Speaking of Ateneo, we move from basketball to volleyball. This weekend promises to be an exciting one for Cebu volleyball fans. It’s called “Stars and Spikes” and it’s an invitational tournament between the Ateneo Lady Eagles and the Creamline Cool Smashers.
Alyssa Valdez is a true and blue-blooded Atenean who graduated last year. She won’t wear the white-and-blue attire but will don the pink uniform for Creamline. She’ll be accompanied by one of the country’s best setters, Jia Morado. The Valdez and Morado tandem from Ateneo will face their former teammates in a two-day contest.
WLD Promotions is organizing this activity. Led by Mr. Dean Wong, the father of Ateneo volleyball player Deana, this will be a major sporting event for Cebu.
“Stars and Spikes” will kick-off with a volleyball clinic at the USJ-R Basak campus on Friday starting at 2 p.m. (To join, just buy P200 worth of Creamline ice cream products and visit the Facebook page of Creamline Creamy Ice Cream to register.)
The volleyball action starts on Saturday (Dec. 9) with a preliminary game between the lady players from USJ-R and SWU at 3 p.m. This will be followed by the main event between Creamline and Ateneo at 4:30 p.m.
On Sunday (Dec. 10), the preliminary game will feature the varsity men from SWU and USJ-R at 12 noon. The main contest, again between Ateneo and Creamline, starts at 2 p.m.
Venue for Saturday and Sunday is the same: the fully-airconditioned USJ-R Coliseum in Basak. (USJ-R is the school where Deana Wong, one of the stars of Ateneo, finished high school.) Proceeds to this event will be for the benefit of the Cogon Pardo Senior Citizens Association, the Buot Senior Citizens Association, and the USJ-R Athletics Scholarship Program.
Ticket prices are reasonable: P400 for the VIP seats, P350 for Lower Box seats, and P300 for the Upper Box. For ticket reservations, you may call Chona at 0925-5257557 or Judin at 0998-8650322. Tickets will be available to the general public at the USJ-R venue three hours prior to the preliminary game.
Sponsors of this event include Golden Prince Hotel and Suites, Lournet’s Catering, SunLife Financial, CDN, Aison Surplus, Lantaw Native Restaurant, House of Lechon and Thirsty Juices and Shakes.
The complete roster of players include:
For the Ateneo Lady Eagles: Bea de Leon, Maddie Madayag, Kat Tolentino, Jhoana Maraguinot, Jules Samonte, Deanna Wong, Sydney Eleazar, Pauline Gaston, Jenelle Lo, Bettina Abella, Dani Ravens and Kim Gequillana.
For the Creamline Cool Smashers: Alyssa Valdez, Jia Morado, Pau Soriano, Rosemarie Vargas, Rizza Mandapat, Coleen Bravo, Ivy Remulla, Jamela Suyat, Carlota Celda, Alex Cabanos, Jonalyn Ibisa, Aerieal Patnongon and Anngela Nunag.