My V-League/UFL Sunday

April 12

 Two of the Finest,

and then some

Alyssa Valdez [#2], for PLDT
[above & below]

Abi Marano [#2], for Meralco
[above & below]

Call her "Aly", "Baldo" [Alyssa Valdez], Call her "Ate Abi or Abipot" [Abigail Marano] -- They're arguably two of the country's finest.

My first visit, ever, to 2015's Shakey's V-League {Season 12} [1st Conference] [Arena in San Juan] gave me the opp to see Valdez and Marano show their stuff again.

The presence of former ->Champs Cha Cruz [UAAP], Denden Lazaro [V-League, UAAP], Gem Ferrer [V-League], Fille Cainglet [V-League], Rachel Daquis [UAAP, V-League, PSL], Jovelyn Gonzaga [V-League, PSL]  - College stars in the Santiago sisters, Jen Reyes, and a few more   .... {I'm SURE I left some names out}  .... {Forgive me} - All helped draw in a decent banner crowd at the San Juan Arena, making for a boisterous PLDT-Army face-off.

 Twin Towers, and Siblings

Dada Santiago-Manabat [#4] and Jaja Santiago [#6]

found themselves on opp sides of the net, this time around

 Jen Reyes and Abi Marano

in a "not awkward", but rather, light moment 

during their match vs the Baguio Team

 Charleen Abigaile "Cha" Cruz [#11], for Meralco 

Sporting short locks, for the most part, during her UAAP playing years, Cha's even More Charming these days with her long locks  -which I only noticed last week, seeing her ringside,
at a PBA match   [Couldn't resist a snapshot of Cha - did post her photo it in a blog feat, FYI]

---------

Champion-Infinity came back from two sets down to win a gutsy 5-setter

[15-13, Set#5] [3  images below] over Army.

Antonio Torres [#18] [Army] 

Great D !

-

That's Den Relata [#12] and Ace Mandani [#19]

 Defending for Champion-Infinity

John Patrick Rojas
Faced off vs his former Systema team mates

Dennise Michele Lazaro

Exit the UAAP - Enter the Shakey's V-League .....

 Denden played her LAST match, as a Lady Eagle, whilst winning her 2nd UAAP Gold, last March 14, and played her First match for PLDT --- [and the V-League] {along with current Lady Eagle Alyssa Valdez - and former Lady Eagles Charo Soriano, and Gemenea Ferrer} --- just yesterday. 

Suffice it to say - I caught the [PLDT vs ARMY] and the [Meralco vs Baguio] Women's Matches,and the first 3 sets of the {Champion/Infinity} vs {Army} Mens' Match - and barely made it to the starting whistle [literally!] of the {Stallions FC}  vs  {Kaya FC}  UFL Football match, at Rizal.

It wasn't so much, THO, seeing the V-League per se, and former and college standouts 

- again - that mattered to me - as compared to essentially being able to strike a balance/pace among the sports/leagues I cover. 

Yesterday, after my visit to the Arena in San Juan, I scooted to the the Rizal Memorial to catch an 8 pm UFL football match.

Doctora [Stallions] vs O'Donnell [Kaya]

Ruben "Balut"  [Doctora], as he is fondly called, beat Nick [O'Donnell] to drill in the Stallion FC's 3rd Goal - and seal the [3-0] trampling of Kaya FC.

---------

As the weekend ended - PLDT, Meralco, Champion-Infinity, and the Stallions FC all emerged winners. Me, I emerged a hungry photog, late Sunday evening - But thanks to the late, hearty Stallion's Team Dinner at Gilligan's Greenbelt - I walked home to the condo - just a block away - Satiated - [ Burp !] OK Lang - 

Hindsight, tho - What really made my Sunday [not surprisingly] were a just few very simple 
B-the-Scenes images I fashioned yesterday - some of which follow below:

Gonzaga

Met Jovelynn way back 2011, during the Uni-games at Roxas City, when she was still enrolled at La Salle, Bacolod.  Last year, alongside Rachel Daquis, Tina Salak and the rest of the Lady Army Team - the 20-something Trooper won V-League AND ! PSL Gold.  This year, so far, Jovelynn's absence at the frontline will surely hurt Army's chances to successfully defend their championships,

del Rosario, Suntay, and Nathanielz

Paolo ->recent acquaintance / Anthony ->a long [long] time acquaintance - {See the dude All Over ! - know his family and all} He's a buddy of mine, this point / Nicholas-> a not-so-recent acquiantance

Cruz and Tiu

About 2 years ago [March, 2013] - I had my first conversation w/ Cha Cruz {outside the MoA - just hours before DLSU clinched their 3-peat} [I even released a blog post with a photo of Cha, alongside former team mate C. Cerveza]. 

Yesterday, I had my first [simple] conversation with Jeushl Wensh Tiu {Whatta unique name !}. 

What's my point - then?  It just feels better posting images of people, who, at the very least - I've had conversations with, no matter how brief they are.  That's Just Me.

brosi gonzales

Next UP

"My Super Liga Monday"

Tags

stallionsfc kayafc nickodonnell balutdoctora jordanminta rubendoctora chacruz charleenabigailecruz jeushlwenshtiu

shakeysvleague ufl uflfootball alyssavaldez abigailmarano dendenlazaro pldtvolleyballteam amyvolleyballteam
armytroopers championinfinityvolleyballteam jenreyes jennylynreyes dadasantiago jajasantiago dadamanabatsantiago johnpatrickrojas denrelata acaemandani paolodelrosario anthonysuntay nicholasnathanielz jovelyngonzaga nickodonnell antoniotorres


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" My PSL Monday"