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LOURDES SULTAN
Array ( [results] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [ArticleID] => 1419052 [Title] => In less than a week, two cruise ships visit Bohol [Summary] =>The M/S Minerva cruise ship of Swan-Hellenic Company docked in this city port early morning of Friday, the second international vessel that sailed into the island in less than a week, following Wednesday’s arrival of M/S Europa of Hapag-Lloyd Cruise Company.
[DatePublished] => 2015-02-01 00:00:00 [ColumnID] => 0 [Focus] => 0 [AuthorID] => 1689765 [AuthorName] => Ric V. Obedencio [SectionName] => Freeman Region [SectionUrl] => region [URL] => ) [1] => Array ( [ArticleID] => 1302616 [Title] => Another cruise ship brings in more tourists to Bohol [Summary] =>For the second time around, M/S Europa 2, the luxury cruise ship, dropped anchor about a mile from this city's port and ferried their mostly German passengers via its two "tender boats" early morning yesterday.
[DatePublished] => 2014-03-19 00:00:00 [ColumnID] => 0 [Focus] => 0 [AuthorID] => 1689765 [AuthorName] => Ric V. Obedencio [SectionName] => Freeman Region [SectionUrl] => region [URL] => ) [2] => Array ( [ArticleID] => 1277944 [Title] => Rainy day in quake-hit Bohol cruise ship brings in 280 tourists [Summary] =>Non-stop rain, due to a low pressure area threatening the country, did not deter the arrival of M/V Europa 2, a German luxury cruise ship, to drop anchor about a mile from this city's port and ferry into the mainland of Bohol 280 foreign tourists yesterday.
[DatePublished] => 2014-01-12 00:00:00 [ColumnID] => 0 [Focus] => 0 [AuthorID] => 1689765 [AuthorName] => Ric V. Obedencio [SectionName] => Freeman Region [SectionUrl] => region [URL] => ) ) )
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MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas team captain Jia de Guzman has tempered expectations on their chances against a heavily favored Vietnam and in the FIVB Challenger Cup that came off the wraps at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium yesterday.
But deep inside the soft-spoken and courageous skipper and the rest of Nationals, they all dream of the same big dream – a ticket straight to the Women’s Volleyball Nations League main group next year.
And their quest begins tonight when they square off with the Vietnamese at 6:30 p.m.
The home bet is the underdog versus the Vietnamese side that swept and dominated last month’s AVC Challenge Cup at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. The Filipinas snatched a historic bronze there.
“Well, alam naman po namin na mas malakas ang kalaban and we know our team is young. All we can ask the girls is to do its best while not putting pressure on the team that much,” said the charismatic Alas team leader.
The team lost power spiker Eya Laure and libero Jen Nierva and were replaced by Creamline’s Jema Galanza and National University’s Bella Belen.
Belen’s teammate, Alyssa Solomon, and Galanza’s fellow Creamline star, Tots Carlos, were enlisted into the pool but will not be able to join due to undisclosed reasons.
“It’s great to have new reinforcements in the pool. Experience-wise, marami ang mako-contribute nila sa team,” said De Guzman of Galanza and Belen.
Intriguingly, Nierva’s last-minute withdrawal left the squad with one legitimate libero in Dawn Catindig.
Cherry Nunag was listed as the team’s second libero although she’s known as a natural middle blocker.
The other members of the team are Faith Nisperos, Fifi Sharma, Vannie Gandler, Julia Coronel, Angel Canino, Dell Palomata, Arah Panique, Thea Gagate and Sisi Rondina.
The trek to that VNL dream is long and arduous though as Alas Pilipinas would need to win all its games against Vietnam, the semis and eventually the finals, assuming it could make it that far, to realize it.
In the opener of the meet, Puerto Rico turned back a feisty Kenya 25-20, 25-19, 27-25, to advance to the semis.
Teenage sensation Grace Mar Lopez Villanueva went on attack mode and fired 19 points including 18 on kills while Diana Reyes scattered 10 hits.
Pamella Adhiambo Owino tried to put up a fight for the Kenyans by unloading a match-best 22 points. most of which came in the third set when they tried
to put up a fight and steal the set before eventually falling short in the end.
- 12:00 am