SVL X Finals: The World War 3

   There is no doubt that the Shakey’s V-league Season 10 is one of the most hyped league this summer and provingly so, this is one of the more exciting seasons of V-league. A lot of events happened that are so memorable. Aiza Maizo come back is such a huge story and she did not let down her fans even though she gain weight probably because of giving birth; Rachelle Ann Daquis is playing for Ateneo & Coach Gorayeb chose to fight alongside the Eagles rather than his Lady Stags are just some of the animations that filled this season. But as we are nearing the tail end of this conference, an even bigger and hotter things are just about to happen: THE WAR.

 

Yes, I said it clearly, the finals will be a war between Ateneo Lady Eagles and National U Lady Bulldogs. Both are very confident coming to this series, of course Ateneo finishing the Tigresses in 2-0 Semis while NU manage to escape the equallt hungry Adamson Lady Falcons in a 2-1 series of their own. Going into this Finals, the Bulldogs also bagged all individual awards such as best scorer, spiker, receiver, setter except for the best blocker which is awarded to Maika Ortiz of UST and the still unannounce MVP of the conference. Although those awards will really help boost the team’s confidence, I can corageously say that we can throw all the stats and standings. After all this is finals and not just eliminations. It is very noteworthy to say too that this two teams met during the Quarterfinals and the Bulldogs defeated the Eagles in straight 3 sets.

 

Lady Bulldogs: The Hungry Young Blood

 

For all those who know the NU volleyball team, you will all agree to me when I say that this is the strongest, most intact bunch of players they had ever had. They have the maturities of Rubi de Leon (Guest Player; Setter) & Dindin Santiago (Reg. Player; Middle Blocker) who both are gelling well for a first time teammates. Nonetheless, this team is still considered as the younger one. Aiko Urdas (Reg. Player; Utility Spiker), who has been very incremental in the team’s success so far, is surprisingly just a 1^st year player. Jaja Santiago (Guest Player; Middle Blocker) is only 16 years old and is yet to go to college. This is the first time on V-league’s history that NU made it to the Finals. Last UAAP, they hoped for atleast a Finals appearance [they even reserved Jen Reyes's (Reg. Player; Libero) last and final year for a stronger defense] but they just ended 4^th place.

 

Strengths/Plays to execute: To say that the quick and running attacks of Dindin & Rubi are the bread & butter of the team is still an understatement. Ateneo will surely prepare to block those that’s why I must say Dindin can be a decoy this time and set the plays to other unguarded players such as Myla Pablo (Reg. Player; Opener). They got one rotation which Dindin is positioned on the open spiker’s position and they must get that once in a rotation point. Blocking completely belongs to NU and so it must be their first line of offense.

 

Weaknesses/Points of improvement: During Game 3 vs the Lady Falcons, it was shown that whenever it is crucial and Jaja is on the frontline rather than Dindin, she never get the ball to attack with or without receive and Ateneo can know that by this point so they’ll just check on the corners and that will be easier for the Eagles especially if it is on the conclusion of the set. Rubi also has this tendency to lose focus whenever it is Semifinals or Finals. She is an MVP contender and that means she is very, very important for the team and she can’t play ‘okay’; not against Ateneo.

 

Crucial player: The team captain in Dindin will surely be consistent as she has been during the UAAP and this whole conference. So instead of pointing out to her, I would say other 2 players. One, Jen Reyes, the Best Receiver & Best Digger this conference. She must receive the heavy services of Bualee, Tejada, Daquis & Valdez plus read the blocking of Ateneo very well for coverage. I know that is too much but she has to be the crucial part of this team at this point. Without her presence, I doubt NU will reach this far. And two, Mina Aganon (Reg. Player; Opener). She has been a revelation for the whole volleyball society. I remember watching her UAAP games and I would ask, “Why is she on the line up?” Now all my doubts on her are coming back to me like a slap because she really turned on her A-game. She’s hitting off and through the block; she’s even making a clean cross court kill! BUT, she must absorb that this is Finals and jitters might come but she has to shake it off. I’m very impress but Mina has never been to a Finals game. Why is she crucial? Because no one can replace her spot. I don’t know where Maricar Nepomuceno (Reg. Player; Opener/Utility) is but she isn’t found during the Semis while looking at the bench, it is Desiree Dadang (Reg. Player; Middle/Opener) who will make the substitution. Dadang is a decent player but her skills are not just yet for the Finals type.

 

ADMU: The Vultures For 3-Peat

Vulture is a tough name to call them but they really seems to be. As stated, NU handily defeated them in straight sets and this is their time for revenge. I can smell that with or without organized plays and focusness of the Bulldogs, the Eagles will act like vultures that will circle around and finish what must be finished. Of course it is not as easy as I might sound but the way Alyssa Valdez (Reg. Player; Opener/Middle/Utility) and Jang Bualee (Guest Player; Opener/Middle/Utility) played against their games in Semis vs UST, they seemed like they knew championship is theirs already.

 

Strengths/Plays to execute: Ateneo is playing in a very unorthodox type of volleyball that there is a rotation when Valdez is the opener another for middle and another for utility; the same goes for Bualee. Although I must admit that I am not a fan of that type of volleyball, I cannot deny the fact that those plays will be very confusing to defend and to block. They should just master it as there are still lapses during their last game. I really can’t say much here since Ateneo is a powerhouse this conference having Rachelle Ann Daquis (Guest Player; Opener) and then replacing Patnongon (Guest Player; Middle Blocker) with San Sebastian’s ever loyal Guest Player from Thailand, Jang Bualee. So honestly, offense is a piece of cake.

 

Weaknesses/Points of improvement: Going into Finals, the Eagles (or vultures?) are the more dominant being a back-to-back V-league champs and pointing out their weakness is a headache. Although I have two points of concern for them. One, blocking. Not that they are on the tailend of standings when it comes to blocking, they are a strong blocking team but this Finals, they are dealing with the best blocking team in the league. Being the best blocking team, NU must know as well how to elude and use the blockers for a point and the Eagles must know that. And two, attitude. Sure they are the crowd favorite and they are very humble (or at least they seem to be). But going on to the Finals with a strong line up must have a mental effect that can be a little too rude that what is needed. I like attitude inside the court because that adds flavor to the game, but more can be less. I hate to point this but Jem Ferrer (Reg. Player; Setter) has a tendency to make a duck a face and point to the opponent’s court whenever her attackers got an impact point. That’s okay but too much of that can lead to a disastrous ending.

 

Crucial player: For me, the crucial player here still is Alyssa Valdez. She’s a power hitter; she is truly phenominal even way back highschool in UST. However, I must point out that if she gets blocked often she can be very frustrated that she’s commiting a lot of errors. During UAAP, when she is at this point she will be replace by Ella de Jesus (Reg. Player; Opener) and Ella is really amazing. But this time, Ella can’t just simply replace Alyssa. Why? Remember, Ateneo is pushing Valdez to play Open, Utility and Middle and I just don’t suppose the ELLAvator is up for this rotations.

 

I said it before & I’ll say it again: this is a war. We will be seeing high quality volleyball, attacks and combination plays. Whichever team wins this series wills urely be very proud and I’ll give them small room to be rude since this is gonna be an excellent match up. For just another side story, Ateneo has never won a UAAP championship while NU has one during UAAP ’56-’57. The best-of-three finals series Game 1 will be on Thursday, May 23, 2013 and will be held at the MOA Arena.

 

Disclaimer: All photos credit to the owner.

5 Adjustments Alaska Needs To Win Against Tim Cone

And so Game 1 between the SanMig Coffee Mixers and Alaska Aces is in the history book already. The James Yap-lead team won the first of the Best-of-5 series. As coaches will always say in the interview, “Its just game one. There’s still a lot of games.” That’s true but one thing for sure Alaska wouldn’t want to go 2-0 and hope for the heroic end of the series; at least not against a team who is lead by their former head coach.

 

 

As a side story, Tim Cone, Mixers’s current coach, is the long time head coach of Alaska. The transfer happened last season and since then, Alaska never won against Tim Cone. I don’t know if its the old and dusty yet effective playbook of Tim Cone the Aces is using all along      that’s causing them hard time winning. One thing’s for sure though, Coach Luigi Trillo, Alaska’s current head coach, is itching already to get that one win.

 

 

It is not that Coach Trillo and the gang can’t do the winning thing. Yes, they struggled last season immediately without Cone but the ball turn a whole rotation. During the eliminations, the Aces ended with an 11-3 win-loss card being the number one team in the league. This season, no one really expected that the Aces will be a prominent championship contender having a very versatile and consistent import no one knew in the form of Robert Dozier; Jayvee Casio from the Powerade team (now known as the Globalport Batangpier); the number 2 overall draft pick, Calvin Abueva; and of course the veterans such as Cyrus Baguio, Tony Dela Cruz and Sonny Thoss. The first issue is the gelling of the whole team on court. However, as their record shown, they are very matured athletes who can adjust to one another. Alaska Aces have beaten all the teams in the elminations at least once … except SanMig Coffee Mixers.

 

 

 

So what really should the Aces do? Here’s some of the adjustment I see they should execute against the Mixers for the Game 2 and so forth.

 

 

1. Bring Dondon on fire. If Tim Cone has James Yap now, well, Luigi Trillo has Dondon on the counterpart. As was seen on their previous games, the veteran Dondon Hontiveros can really hurt the opposing team BIG TIME just like what he did to the 20+ points leading Rain or Shine in their second game in the elims which they beaten. Although Dondon is one of their trades from Petron, he always shows leadership and so being an example in shooting with calmness. His three pointers must be set up properly in order to get him going. Coach Trillo should also give Dondon around 30 minutes playing time.

 

 

2. Just be compose. Not that the Aces are the least compose team. In fact, they are probably the most compose this conference. But there’s really something on Time Cone’s presence that they seem to rattle. They are not as loose as the fans are use to that even an uncontested layup can be missed. Try to play with their shoulders all set to win, their feet unclogged from the ropes and their minds focusing on the game not on the opponent.

 

 

3. Don’t underestimate SanMig’s passing abilities. Tim Cone brought with him the triangle offense in the SanMig which means there will be more passing and the Aces should really really anticipate those. For me, man-to-man defense is of little use and a two-three zone is a better one. Why? Because when SanMig’s triangle don’t work, they will always go to Denzel’s perimeter shooting (SanMig’s import). And that will always be a sure point for the Mixers. So, if they are in a two-three zone, there is a better possibility to jam the passing lanes and force Denzel to take it to his own hands. When that happen, he will only pick two spots: 1.) base line & 2.) 14 foot jumper outside the shaded area. The Aces should then force to double team.

 

 

4. Calvin should take all the Booos. This rookie is specially exceptional in terms of hustle and even clutch points. He has a 3-pointer and a wild layup;although, more than the points he can contribute, the #2 draft pick can be the X-factor if he will be into James Yap’s head. Yes, the Big Game James Yap; not Marc Pingris or PJ Simon but James. Do not let James receive the ball and if he do, slap it right away. Then, when Calvin scores make sure he taunt James. Why so mean to James? I’m not trying to be mean to James but that’s really the way to steep down the chances of the MIxers to win. Sure PJ will step up so will Denzel but having James to trouble on his shooting will be a step forward against Tim Cone. As seen on SanMig vs Meralco’s quarterfinals series, James had a horrible shooting having only 3 points but on the crucial last seconds, Time Cone still chooses him to get the ball and shoot. And so they lose that game.

 

 

5. And lastly, gear up, loosen and be ready to win. I am pretty sure that of all the teams, Alaska is one of those who can really bring the A-game. The fans are always on their back no matter what especially the 90′s kids. A little over practicing is also healthy to get the feel of the semis. Alaska has not really been into the semis this past few conferences and some players might not get the proper feel of it. Some might be too excited while others are under the bar. It is very common but can also hurt the team a whole series. Coach Trillo should also take a stolen glance on Tim Cone’s newest playbook. Anticipate Cone’s move. Trillos should also force SanMig’s star players such as Yap, Simon and even Mallari to early foul trouble. We know that can be forced (Jason Castro style).

 

Disclaimer: All photos credit to the owner.

The Game Changer: Internet-based Change

Yesterday, I attended for the first time The Game Changers Forum held at Colegio de San Juan de Letran. How did I got invited? On wednesday night, David Guison, a fashion blogger, tweeted about the event which is actually the last day of registration. You have to fill their form and answer the question that goes like this: Which among the latest technology/advocacy you like most. I will not elaborate my answer but it has something to do with seeing the beauty around us in a very busy environment we have. It wasn’t even in my mind when I read their reply on Thursday afternoon that I have been selected as a participant. I am very positive because it is invitational and they only have limited slots. So here goes my experience.

The Game Venue

The venue is at Intramuros, former location of my current school – UST, at Colegio de San Juan de Letran – UST’s sister school. I wasn’t very familiar with the place; it was just my third time to go in that place. Anyway, the school has few students since that was Saturday. The halls are near empty in fact but the students and employees are very kind and welcoming. The hall proper was jam packed with bloggers, students, media and other participants. Half of the hall is filled with Letranites (my theory is that there are few invitees that they let Letranites enter so it won’t look haunted to the speakers). I’m actually shocked by the fact that they give you a small paper with the WiFi’s usernames and passwords. Its kind of weird, I thought. But when I entered, it makes a lot of sense. Almost everyone, if not all, is holding onto their laptop, tablet and smartphones blogging, tweeting, Facebook-ing and taking down notes. I actually went with the flow and bring out my phone and tab. I just wonder how does it feel to be up on stage giving your talk to a bunch of people who are not looking at you but on their touchscreen devices instead.

The Game Speakers

It is my very first invitational event to attend and I’m very unprepared. I didn’t took notes and that stuff while the others are. And right now, I’m feeling a little numb for not doing so. Anyways, I’ll recount the speakers base on my memory.

First up is Rosario Juan, better known as the founder of TweetUpMNL and the #rescueph. She is already in the middle of her talk when I came and I’m still looking for my seats so there is little to none that I can say about her. I just simply admire her for making a team for the common good of the people who are in trouble in the middle of a calamity. True public servant.

Second is Yves Gonzalez, former MMDA spokesperson and an app developer. What I liked about him is that he do what he says, at least base on his stories. Like some incidents which he said to himself that he will have an application next year at iOS and came next year there his app right there. Although his being “closeness” to a particular operating system is on the negative side. I think that being an exclusive iOS app developer do not promote better leadership to the youth.

The well-known Maria Ressa went up after Yves. She is a former Bureau Chief in Manila for CNN and currently CEO of Rappler. Most of her achievements and credits are journalism-based which I admire. Her talk centers on how Filipinos can play big in the world in terms of social networking sites like Twitter. Well, better said than done, right? But somehow, I thought it has to be said and done rather than not give it a try to the very least. Maria also discussed how our lives must not be dictated by technology. Honestly, this is true and I’m quite learning this the harder way. I tend to dip my 24 hours facing computer and not studying and that really sucks after you realized what you just did.

Bianca Gonzalez, a very famous TV host and personality, told us a lot of things. But of all, it marked to me what she said about not tweeting or posting on the internet just because it is the mainstream. We must verify facts first or make the issue clear by reading articles and news and not by hearsay alone. She also said that “we must exist in the world, not just in the world wide web.” Bianca is a very good speaker but I would rather not hear how she joined Pinoy Big Brother just because her manager, Boy Abunda, wants her to be a “masa” (or for the mass or people of majority). PBB is a really big and well-respected show in the Philippines and to know that celebrities join this show just because they want to catch up fame made me puke. But I like Biance anyway. Somehow, PBB thought her some new ways to communicate to the public better, something you cannot just learn from classrooms.

Senator Guigona also spoke. I don’t know he seems sincere all the while but somehow there is this “plastic effect” on his each word. May be a side effect of being a politician. There’s nothing really noteworthy about his speech but some perfume to his name.

My Game

Its not totally a well-formed forum but I did gain some lessons from The Game Changers forum. For one, when I’m on my trip home to Cavite, my mind is full of things I’m seeing things or development  that the world or the Philippines need. I am also very encourage to study harder.

Although generally speaking, the event is rather one-sided. What do I mean by that? Its not really about changing the game we have right now but more of a “how you can tweet better” forum. Is that bad? Actually NO but I would rather change the misleading title of the event. Rosario, Yves, Maria and Bianca all talked about their different ways of utilizing Twitter and that made me say so. Do they actually wanted to say that: in short, the game changer is Twitter? Perhaps but I will vaguely know the answer as they might not answer my query at all.

It was a very healthy experience and if ever I will be invited again, I will be more than happy to attend. Internet is such a big leap in the society and there is no way of escaping from it. Just “don’t let technology dictate your life,” right? I did criticize the forum but its just part of me being in that event and I’m sure the speakers won’t mind being criticize.

DISCLAIMER: ALL PHOTOS USED ARE NOT MINE. CREDIT TO THE OWNER.