AFTER a five-year hiatus, the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons are returning in the 2018 Philippine University Games women’s volleyball from Oct. 22 to 28 in Dumaguete City.
Sending in a squad with a mixture of rookies and veteran players, the Lady Maroons are eyeing their second straight preseason title after recently ruling the Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference.
“I look forward to the experience our team will gain, especially since collegiate teams from the provinces will also participate in this league,” Lady Maroons assistant Coach Joma Angulo said in an interview with the UPWVT website.
“Being the current champs of the PVL, everybody expects more from our team. But our thinking coming in is that now is the time to showcase our team in a more challenging league like the UniGames,” Angulo added.
Among veteran Lady Maroons suiting up for the weeklong tournament are Jessma Ramos, Isa Molde, Marian Buitre, Rose Cailing, and Roselyn Rosier.
The rookie crew will be led by Marianne Sotomil, Andreanna Lagman, Abilaine Goc, Remelyn Altomea, Mary Mirgie Bautista, Sophia Marie Dee, Lorie Lyn Bernardo, and Nicole Anne Magsarile.
“We are really looking forward to play in UniGames because it will help us gain our confidence, especially for us rookies, and also for the team to form a better chemistry,” the Iloilo native Sotomil told Panay News.
Among the teams the Lady Maroons will face are defending champions University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses, De La Salle University Lady Spikers, Arellano Lady Chiefs, College of St. Benilde Lady Blazers, National University Lady Bulldogs, University of the East Lady Warriors, and University of Perpetual Help Lady Altas.
Also competing are Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod, University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, University of San Agustin, University of St. La Salle-Bacolod, Ateneo de Davao University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of Mindanao-Tagum, and University of Mindanao-Davao./PN
