UNIVERSITY of the Philippines Lady Maroons head coach Godfrey Owese Okumu was all praises on his new recruit, former Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts setter Marianne Sotomil.
Okumu said the Pavia, Iloilo-native Sotomil has a strong chance of making it to the team’s final roster for the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball, which will start on February 2019.
“Marianne can seal her position in the team if she performs well (in practices),” Okumu said. “After seeing her in practices, I can say she has the potential. She is a legitimate setter.”
Sotomil, for her part, said she is still adjusting at Lady Maroons, which she describes as a lot different compared to when she was still at Thunderbolts. But she is hopeful to adapt to Okumu’s system immediately.
“Parang back to basics po ako dito sa UP. Ibang-iba po compared nung nasa Bacolod Tay Tung pa ako,” Sotomil told the Buzzer Beater. “But I am optimistic I will be able to adapt to the system immediately.”
“I know naman that I have to work my way to the team kasi madami rin namang setters sa team na mas experienced,” she added. “But I am willing to work hard, do some extra work, to earn my spot.”
The 18-year-old Sotomil will be the third Western Visayas-based player in Lady Maroons following Bacolodnons Arielle Estranero and Jessma Ramos.
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The two semifinals series in the Negros Basketball Association 2018 President’s Cup are headed to do-or-die matches today at the Bacolod Tay Tung High School in Bacolod City.
ESJ / Fyr Fyter / YBAC and ABF Supreme / Silvergraces Construction forced the twin rubber-matches after scoring separate victories against their seeded opponents at the start of the Final Four.
ESJ / Fyr Fyter / YBAC kept its finals hopes alive after stunning University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos / Red House Taiwan Shabu Shabu, 73-63, behind the hot shooting of John Nermal and Kobe Vizcarra.
Nermal sizzled in the opening quarter as YBAC posted a 23-13 lead. UNO-R then banked on the exploits of Ruel Cagayao in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 34-32 at the half.
YBAC played a well-balanced offence in the third period with 18-15 run to keep a 52-44 advantage going to the play-off period where UNO-R had some chances to further sliced the lead before dropping the match.
Nermal paced ESJ / Fyr Fyter / YBAC with 25 points Vizcarra added 18 points – all from behind the arc, as Renz Solomon contributed15 points.
ABF Supreme / Silvergraces Construction, on the other hand, edged Colegio Sta. Ana de Victorias / Silver Dragon Construction, 85-77. Frederick Ngoh Elombi, Errol Doromal and Bill Geolingo carried ABF with 22, 21 and 20 points, respectively./PN
