“Coach Tina will soon migrate to the USA as her immigrant visa application recently got approved,” the FEU Tamaraws posted on their Facebook page.

“She will remain with the team as consultant while she plans her move to the US,” it added.

Assistant Manolo Refugia will serve as interim coach of the Lady Tamaraws, who pulled off an impressive turnaround under new coach Salak. 

The Lady Tamaraws came within striking distance of the Final Four of the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament last May, finishing fifth just a year after winding up dead last with only a win to show. 

In what turned out to be her lone season coaching her alma mater, Salak turned emotional and thanked her players for helping her reinvigorate the squad.

“It was not just a good run – it was a very good run,” Salak said in Filipino after FEU’s final game last month. “It was a very good season for us since we had made big strides because of our sacrifices.” 

According to FEU volleyball program director Dzi Gervacio, they are happy for Salak as she moves on to a new chapter in her life.

“We’re very grateful that she was able to be be part of FEU and got to share her vast knowledge on the sport and becoming a good Tamaraw student-athlete,” Gervacio told Rappler.

“This is not the end of the road for us as she will still be part of the team as a consultant and we trust that even with this role, she will still have a significant impact to the team.”

Salak, the 1995 UAAP MVP who played most of her career as a setter, powered the Lady Tamaraws to two championships in the 1990s.

Before bidding the team farewell, Salak had even bared that she was working on securing new recruits, but remains satisfied  with the team’s core players.

In the offseason, the team lost Jov Fernandez as she turned pro and signed with the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers in late May.

Shiela Kiseo and Jill Gallo likewise wrapped up their stint, according to Salak in her last interview as head coach.

– Rappler.com

Leading the former Philippine Superliga (PSL) squad’s rebuild after a four-year hiatus are a majority of players from sister team Chery Tiggo, led by standout Crossover spiker Shaya Adorador and setter Jasmine Nabor.

Also boosting the attack line is reigning NCAA MVP Mary Rhose Dapol from the Perpetual Help Lady Altas by way of a special guest license from professional sports regulatory body Games and Amusements Board (GAB).

Other key players in the Tornadoes’ lineup are Jaila Atienza, Bingle Landicho, May Luna, Seth Rodriguez, and France Ronquillo – all from Chery Tiggo, which has since filled their spots with ex-UAAP standouts like Eya Laure and Jen Nierva.

Nene Bautista, Bern Flora, Carly Hernandez, meanwhile, are getting fresh pro contracts for the first time since the BaliPure Water Defenders left the PVL last year.

Completing the squad are former UST players Babylove Barbon and Maji Mangulabnan alongside ex-JRU standout Sydney Niegos.

Foton reenters the local volleyball war zone in the 2023 Invitationals Pool B, featuring F2, Choco Mucho, Cignal, and newcomer Farm Fresh.

Fans can expect an all-day PVL action thrice a week as the league stages triple-header and quadruple-header game days. – Rappler.com

Graced with the veteran presence of Petro Gazz spiker Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and setter teammate Djanel Cheng, the team will be made up mostly from the Akari Chargers PVL squad, per multiple sources.

These players include Chargers skipper Michelle Cobb, Ezra Madrigal, Bang Pineda, Erika Raagas, Eli Soyud, and top rookie recruit Faith Nisperos.

Also making up the squad include players from the UAAP, namely Lia Pelaga and Riza Nogales of the UE Lady Warriors, and Ateneo Blue Eagles AC Miner and Roma Doromal.

Completing the squad is Chery Tiggo’s Shaya Adorador and PLDT’s Jules Samonte.

National team head coach and current Akari mentor Jorge Edson Souza de Brito will again be calling the shots in the biennial competition. – Rappler.com

If the first schedule edition released late Tuesday night, June 13, is set to push through, the league is implementing a quadruple-header schedule starting 9:30 am as early as July 11, the fourth game day following three triple-headers.

The succeeding games then tip off around 12 pm, 4 pm, and 6:30 pm, thus ending an average quadruple-header day around 8 to 9 pm for a near 12-hour volleyball experience on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Kicking off the loaded conference featuring 11 local teams and at least two foreign squads on June 27 is a 1:30 pm clash between returning ex-Philippine Superliga (PSL) team Foton Tornadoes and the Cignal HD Spikers parading new recruit Vanie Gandler with veteran Jovelyn Gonzaga.

Meanwhile, the F2 Cargo Movers, fresh off a UAAP award winner haul led by La Salle champion Jolina dela Cruz, are set to welcome another PVL debutant at 4pm: the Farm Fresh Foxies carrying the core of two-time reigning NCAA champion CSB Lady Blazers.

Lastly, at 6:30 pm, the defending conference champion Creamline Cool Smashers – now made stronger with the addition of beach volleyball star Bernadeth Pons – gauge the might of the retooled Chery Tiggo Crossovers set to debut former UST and NU stars like Eya Laure and Jen Nierva.

Other teams’ first games to watch out for include the Quezon City Gerflor Defenders’ pro league debut on June 29, 1:30 pm, against Creamline, followed at 4 pm by star spiker Sisi Rondina’s indoor volleyball return with the Choco Mucho Flying Titans against Farm Fresh.

On July 1, former Ateneo captain Faith Nisperos officially trades in Blue Eagle colors for neon pink as her Akari Chargers take on the PLDT High Speed Hitters now reinforced by ex-Army leader Royse Tubino.

Still missing from the equation are the two overseas guest teams, but similar to the previous Invitational Conference, both are likely shoo-ins in the round-robin semifinals happening right after the elimination round.

The PVL has yet to respond for comment, but the composition of the schedule was likely done that way to make ample room for the Philippines’ hosting of 2023 FIBA World Cup, which will surely demand availability from multiple venues as practice courts by August.

Also worth noting is the gap between July 2 to 10, which was likely done to make way for the Manila leg of the prestigious Volleyball Nations League featuring the sport’s best teams around the world.

Nonetheless, the PVL schedule as always is subject to change as the countdown clock to the conference’s tip-off date continues to tick. – Rappler.com

Despite the league not yet revealing the identities of the foreign teams, their fans already have a lot to look forward to as the Foton Tornadoes are set for their volleyball league return and professional debut, while the Farm Fresh Foxies and Quezon City Gerflor Defenders add a lot of competitive fuel to the mix.

Farm Fresh will bring the core of two-time defending NCAA champion College of St. Benilde to the fold, including the Lady Blazers’ head coach Jerry Yee and former MVP Mycah Go. The upstart team has also tapped former Ateneo prospect Pia Ildefonso, daughter of basketball legend Danny Ildefonso.

“Though we are a new team, chemistry won’t be a problem for us since the Lady Blazers never really stopped training even after the NCAA season,” said Foxies team manager Janica Lao.

Gerflor, meanwhile, will feature a mix of veterans, such as former Army setter Ivy Perez, and young players, like former UP standouts Alyssa Bertolano and Ethan Arce.

“We are thrilled to finally be a part of the PVL. We have organized and participated in several leagues to qualify for the opportunity to compete in the PVL, which we believe is the most prestigious league in the country,” said Defenders team manager Jordan Tolentino.

Foton, on the other hand, has yet to reveal its comeback roster after a three-year absence, with its last appearance coming as part of the defunct Philippine Superliga (PSL).

“We are happy that the league and the member teams allowed us to join, starting with the Invitational Conference,” said team manager Aaron Velez, also the current head coach of Foton’s sister team Chery Tiggo Crossovers.

All 11 local teams will be split into two groups: Group A will be composed of defending champion Creamline, Chery Tiggo, PLDT, Akari, and Gerflor, while Group B will consist of six teams, including Petro Gazz, F2 Logistics, Choco Mucho, Cignal, Farm Fresh, and Foton.

The top two teams in each pool will advance to the round-robin semifinals along with the two foreign teams. Teams from the same pool will carry over their head-to-head record into the second round.

The top two teams will advance to the winner-take-all final, while the third- and fourth-ranked teams will compete for the bronze medal.

Those teams that do not advance to the next round will move to the classification phase. However, the sixth-placed squad in Pool B will automatically be ranked 13th.

“With volleyball in the country growing by leaps and bounds over the past decade, we feel that it’s about time to increase the number of member teams in the PVL,” said league president Ricky Palou.

“This will not only bring more excitement for our fans but also provide players with more opportunities to have a career in volleyball. The new teams are also committed to staying with us in the long term,” he added. – Rappler.com

“We understand his desire to return to the professional league and though it pains us to see him go, he has our complete and sincere support in his new endeavor,” the school said in a statement.

Yee, also the current head coach of two-time defending NCAA champion CSB Lady Blazers, immediately brought his winning ways to the up-and-coming Adamson squad after taking over from now-UST deputy Lerma Giron at the start of UAAP Season 85.

In just his first foray with the Lady Falcons, Yee steered the team to a top three finish with a 10-4 record for their first Final Four appearance since Season 76 back in 2014.

Adamson, however, ended its stellar run to then-defending champion NU Lady Bulldogs in the semifinal match off a four-set loss.

“The Adamson University community would like to thank him for all his contributions to the recent success of the WVT of Season 85,” the school’s statement continued.

“It was an inspiring journey for the Lady Falcons and without him as their head coach, their podium finish would not have been possible.”

Yee ends a one-year hiatus in the PVL, with his last go-around being a 2022 PVL All-Filipino Conference finals appearance with the Petro Gazz Angels.

With Farm Fresh, Yee goes on to mentor NCAA Season 97 MVP Mycah Go, his former top ward in St. Benilde before an ACL injury sidelined her for the rest of the Lady Blazers’ Season 98 title repeat finish. – Rappler.com

Most Valuable Player Casiey Dongallo and Jelaica Gajero showed the way as California Academy downed Naga College Foundation, 25-18, 18-25, 25-14, 25-19, in the finals to rule the inaugural Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (GVIL) on Saturday night, June 3, at San Andres Gym in Malate, Manila.

Gajero, the Best Opposite Spiker, fired 18 points as Dongallo hammered 17, proving to be an unstoppable duo in the Antipolo City-based squad’s 5-0 sweep of the tournament.

Jenalyn Umayam added 13 points for California Academy, which also stunned reigning UAAP juniors champion National U-Nazareth School in the Final Four last week. 

“It wasn’t a perfect game as Naga played really well. We’re glad that in the end, history is made and the girls won the first Shakey’s GVIL. We’re proud of that,” said California Academy coach Obet Vital.

Still, the road to the summit was not a walk in the park as the California Academy spikers had to hold off a resilient Naga side.

As Gajero and Dongallo set the tone in a 25-18 start, Naga refused to go down without a fight behind Arah Ellah Panique to spark a 10-3 start and equalize with a similar score, 25-18.

Umayam then joined the party, conspiring with Gajero and Dongallo for a lethal troika in their 25-14 snowball in the third set before erasing a 2-5 deficit in the fourth for the clincher.

Panique, the Best Outside Hitter, posted a game-high 19 points as Nathasza Kaye Bombita added 15 in the valiant runner-up finish of the Parley Tupaz-mentored Naga team, which had to brave long hours of travel every week just to play here.

Dona Mae de Leon (Best Middle Blocker) of Bacolod Tay Tung High School, NU-NS’ IC Cepada (Best Libero), and California’s Kizzie Madriaga (Best Setter) were also named to the Super Team 

Earlier, De Leon showed the way with 13 points on 11 hits and 2 blocks as Bacolod swept NU-NS, 25-14, 25-22, 25-15 to clinch the bronze medal. 

Jothea Marie Ramos chipped in 11 points while Alexia Montoro and Ana Hermosura fired 6 apiece.

“It’s a big thing for us to bring home a bronze back in Bacolod,” said coach Ian Macariola.

Kianne Louise Olango, who scored 16, served as the lone bright spot in NU-NS’ rare miss at a podium finish. – Rappler.com

Tabbed as two of the Philippines’ best beach volleyball players, with fans even nicknaming their tandem as “SiPons,” Rondina and Pons will both see action in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational Conference set to hold first serve later this month.

But the longtime partners will need to part ways as Rondina will suit up for Choco Mucho while Pons will see action with sister team Creamline. 

Creamline and Choco Mucho are both owned by Republic Biscuit Corporation, popularly known as Rebisco.

Both Rondina and Pons last played for the Petron Blaze Spikers in the 2019 Philippine Superliga (PSL) Invitational Conference finals, losing against eventual champion F2 Logistics.

Since then, the two devoted their career to beach volleyball, where the tandem won consecutive bronze medals at the 30th and 31st Southeast Asian Games.

The Flying Titans officially welcomed Rondina, the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball MVP from UST, on Saturday, June 3, just a day after the Cool Smashers also celebrated Pons’ return by hosting a team lunch for the former FEU standout in a Korean restaurant. – Rappler.com

Fierce rivals on the court, the only rookie MVPs in the UAAP’s 85-year existence are nonetheless great friends once the taraflex has been rolled up.

They even have the same aspirations for their careers to match their stardom trajectories so far.

Recipients of the Collegiate Press Corps Volleyball Player of the Year awards for school years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, both Belen and Canino hope their prodigious prowess translates into inspiring energy down to the grassroots level, where numerous prospects hone their craft every day.

“We’re really thankful because we’re not expecting these awards given how many players there are in the UAAP, but it’s a blessing that we’re a part of this,” Belen, the UAAP Season 84 MVP and champion with the NU Lady Bulldogs, said in Filipino.

“I’m really happy because that’s one of our goals, to inspire the youth through volleyball and let them see how great it feels to say you have a second family.”

Canino, the UAAP Season 85 MVP and newly crowned champion with the La Salle Lady Spikers, likewise thanked the Collegiate Press Corps for the citation, and said that she is blessed to be recognized for her efforts in a historic rookie season.

“I’m really happy because I’m able to make kids happy while watching volleyball,” she added in Filipino. “That’s the impact I want to have to people because volleyball is not just about having fun while playing but also learning moral values along the way.”

Now entering their respective off-seasons after a hard-fought Season 85 finals, both Belen and Canino reiterated their mutual respect for each other as fans expect many more wars to be waged with these two budding superstars at the helm.

“I was part of the audience in Season 84, so I saw how Bella played. I was inspired to play like her as a rookie and we were also together during the ASEAN [School Games],” Canino said. “I saw her heart and her hard work paid off, so I’m really proud.”

“I’m very proud of Angel because all throughout Season 85 we saw how great and steady she really was,” Belen continued. “We saw her work ethic. I already played with her before and I can see Angel will go far in her career.” – Rappler.com

Gonzaga, who was not able to play in the 2023 PVL All-Filipino tournament due to her Philippine beach volleyball team duties, previously played for Cignal HD from 2017-2020.

The national team winger, who teamed up with Sisi Rondina, failed to clinch a podium spot in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia early May.

Some familiar faces remain in the team since Gonzaga’s previous stint, including coach Shaq delos Santos and Rachel Anne Daquis.

Also featured in the squad are Chai Troncoso, Jerrili Malabanan, Ces Molina, and new signee Vanie Gandler, who recently left Ateneo to turn pro.

Cignal looks to rebound from a woeful campaign in the all-Filipino, having won three of eight games, ending up outside the playoffs at sixth.

Gonzaga last played for the Army Lady Troopers as she actively enlisted with the Armed Forces.

Due to lack of players owing to their military commitment, the team decided to skip the Invitational Conference, prompting Gonzaga to return to her old squad. – Rappler.com