Abellana National School kicked off its championship campaign with a 2-0 shutout of Cabancalan National High School at the start of the 1st M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala Developmental Volleyball League for Boys and Girls yesterday at the University of San Carlos (USC)-Main Gym.
The ANS belles took full command right at the outset to post a 25-17 victory in the opening session.
In the second set, ANS found Cabancalan a tough costumer to handle as the Mandauehanons dictated the tempo of the match since wresting the driver’s seat, 10-8.
Cabancalan stretched its lead to 18-15, but suddenly suffered a huge offensive meltdown, allowing ANS to close the match with a searing 10-to-nothing run for the kills, 25-18.
Prior to that, the M. Lhuillier Sports Development Foundation (MLSDF) All-Stars pulled off a vengeful two-set triumph over the Hiroshi commercial squad to draw first blood in their best-of-five showdown.
It was a close encounter at first with the star-studded MLSDF force going through two slides before squeezing out a 28-26 victory.
It was a completely different story in the second set as MLSDF never looked back after jumping off to a sizzling 8-0 start with Kenneth Garces on serve to knock the lights off Hiroshi, 25-15.
Before the games, a simple opening ceremony took place graced by event organizer and MLSDF executive director Eddie B. Ybañez and USC vice president for finance and athletic director Rev. Fr. Vicente “Vic” L. Uy, SVD.
Uy emphasized to the student-athletes the importance of sports in education. “Sports teach us values. Without sports, education will not be complete,” said Uy, even as he also encouraged all the competitors to respect their opponents and play in the truest sense of fair play and sportsmanship.
Ybañez, on the other hand, took the opportunity to thank MLSDF chairman and longtime sports patron Michel J. Lhuillier for his unflinching support to the programs and projects of MLSDF.
Meanwhile, the tournament will resume on July 29 with Cabancalan NHS as host. A total of eight games will be on tap, four each in the morning and afternoon sessions. The preliminary match will promptly start at 8 am. —EBV