V-League: Cagayan Valley opens title defense bid vs PNP

Games today

2 p.m. – PNP vs Cagayan

4 p.m. – PLDT Home Telpad vs UP

 

Cagayan Valley seeks no less than a strong start in its bid to duplicate its record 16-game sweep of last year’s crown as it faces Philippine National Police in the Shakey’s V-League Season 11 Open Conference at The Arena in San Juan on Thursday.

 

Expecting a tougher grind in their title-retention drive, the Rising Suns tapped former Adamson aces Pau Soriano and Faye Guevara, Gemelyn Seguirre from the Gonzaga National High in Cagayan, former PNP stalwart Janine Marciano and former FEU standouts Chie Saet and Gyzelle Sy to bolster the already formidable roster that includes Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Angge Tabaquero, Joy Benito, Bang Pineda, Wenneth Eulalio and Rosemarie Vargas.

 

And ranged against a struggling PNP side, which dropped its first two games to Ateneo and Air Force, Cagayan is fancied to get past its rival in their 2 p.m. encounter.

 

PLDT Home Telpad also launches its title campaign right on its first stint in the league sponsored by Shakey’s as it slugs it out with University of the Philippines, which also lost its first two matches to National University and top favorite Philippine Army.

 

Like Army and Cagayan Valley, PLDT Home Telpad boasts of a star-studded lineup that includes Dindin Santiago, former league MVP Suzanne Roces, former Ateneo standout Charo Soriano, San Sebastian’s star Gretchel Soltones, Laurence Ann Latigay and Angela Benting.

 

Coach Roger Gorayeb also acquired two of the league’s best playmakers in Rubie de Leon and Jem Ferrer and added Ryzabelle Devanedara, Carmina Aganon, Lizlee Pantone, Royce Estampa and Alyssa Eroa to the roster, making PLDT Home Telpad one of the teams to beat in the mid-season conference of the league where it all started.

 

PLDT Home Telpad’s 4 p.m. match with UP also serves as a tune-up for its keenly awaited duel with title favorite Ateneo on Sunday.

 

But UP, led by Katherine Bersola and Nicole Tiamzon, and PNP, headed by Frances Molina, Jane Maderazo and Charisse Perez, are also going all out to stop their respective fancied rivals and revive their bids after a poor start in the tournament backed by Mikasa and Accel.

 

After the single round elims, the top six squads in the eight-team field will advance to the quarterfinals. The top four, after another single round quarters, will advance to the crossover semifinal round with the No. 1 team clashing with the No. 4 squad and the Nos. 2 and 3 teams disputing the other finals berth in a pair of best-of-three series. The championship is also a best-of-three affair.

 

Meanwhile, the Air Force-PNP duel last Tuesday will be aired at 1 p.m. on Thursday on GMA News TV Channel 11 with Thursday’s matches to be aired on Friday, according to the organizing Sports Vision. - JST, GMA News