BY ABBY TORALBA
FROM seven to 11.
The Spikers’ Turf Open Conference gets going with four new teams this Sunday, Jan. 22, a development welcomed by Ricky Palou, president of the organizing Sports Vision.
“Perhaps, this is really a blessing that we’re having more teams joining the Spikers’ Turf.
We’re growing. We started with a few teams and now we’re 11 teams and this is a good sign,” Palou said yesterday during the Philippine Sportswriters Association forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
“It shows that there’s really interest, not only in women’s volleyball, but also in men’s volleyball,” he added.
Reigning champion NU-Archipelago banners the tilt that also includes mainstays Cignal, Philippine Army, VNS Volleyball Club, PGJC-Navy, City of Santa Rosa and Philippine Air Force.
AMC Volleyball, City of Imus, D’Navigators Iloilo, and Vanguard Volleyball Team are set to make their debut.
“Honestly, comparing it to women’s volleyball, PVL also, siyempre mas kaunti lang din iyong teams namin but here sa Spikers’ Turf mas madami and not just playing the sport, they’re all competitive and that’s why we really want all Filipinos out there na ipakita kung gaano exciting and fun iyong men’s volleyball,” Spikers’ Turf President Alyssa Valdez said in the public sports program presented by San Miguel Corp., Milo, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
“We’re just really happy na hindi po nagsasawa iyong mga teams and mga sponsor to be here, to be part of the Spikers’ Turf.”
Palou and Valdez were also joined by tournament director Mozzy Ravena and Cignal TV channel manager for Sports Von Gaa.
Ravena said the competition will have a single-round eliminations, with the top four teams advancing to the single-round semifinals.
The top two squads will clash in the best-of-3 finals.
“This (conference), I think, we will be the youngest team na magco-compete ngayon kasi I don’t think makakalaro iyong mga UAAP players namin kasi magsasabay sila (with the UAAP),” NU assistant coach Dong Dela Cruz, who was also with the other teams’ representatives, said.
“So, ang team namin ay mga bata so all I can say is sana makapag-compete kami sa mga magagaling na teams like Cignal at sa lahat of course. . . Of course, every game naman ibibigay namin our best.”
