AFTER almost not making it to the final roster, Ilongga rookie setter Marianne Sotomil showed University of the Philippines Lady Maroons head coach Godfrey Okumu that putting her in the lineup was not a mistake.
With Bacolodnon setter Ma. Arielle Estranero out, the Pavia, Iloilo native Sotomil showed that she can thrived with the Lady Maroons veterans as she tallied 32 excellent sets in UP’s four-setter loss to University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses.
Sotomil, a former Western Visayas volleyball team standout, admitted that she was tensed after being advised by Okumu that she will have a spot start after being used sparingly in Lady Maroons’ first two matches.
“As a rookie, meron ibang feeling like kaba,” Sotomil said. “Actually, iba po talaga kapag UAAP na e, unlike sa preseason tournaments na sinalihan ko. Pero kailangan ko lang din panindigan ‘yung opportunity na makapaglaro kasi wala si ate Ayel.”
“Andoon ‘yung kaba pero kailangan ko rin mag-step up para sa mga seniors namin,” she added. “So, nasa dugout pa lang, na mindset ko na ‘yung sarili ko na kailangan ko panindigan ‘yung opportunity na ‘to.”
Okumu was all praise on the efforts of Sotomil, whom he personally recruited from Bacolod Tay Tung High School, which proved to be the silver lining in their defeat to the Golden Tigresses.
“Yes, we missed Ayel’s leadership but Sotomil was great,” Okumu said. “To me as a coach, all my players are the same. The only thing we needed was leadership to push the young players.”
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Sixteen Negros Occidental-based volleyball teams will participate in the one-day Philippine Volleyball Federation-Tanduay Athletics Volleyball this Sunday at the Montalbo Covered Court in Bacolod City.
Eight squads are participating in the Under-18 category and eight others are suiting up in the Under-15 tourney, said Jose Montalbo of the Negros Federation of Volleyball Enthusiasts, Inc. (NEFVEI).
Participating teams in the U-18 were Silay, Negros Occidental High School, Himamaylan National High School, St. Scholastica’s Academy, Pulupandan National High School, La Carlota National High School, Bata National High School, and Bacolod City High School.
Playing in U-15 category were Talisay, Murcia National High School, Mabini Elementary School, Rizal Elementary School, Negros Occidental High School, FMT Volleyball Club, Bacolod Tay Tung High School and Calvary Baptist Academy.
The eight teams per category are to be divided into two groups where the top two from each bracket will advance to the semifinals and the winner to the finals. Matches will be race-to-25 single set affair.
The one-day volleyball tournament, which was organized in cooperation NEFVEI, Philippine Volleyball Federation, Wow TMR and Tanduay Athletics, is a grassroots program to discover potential volleyball players in Negros Occidental./PN
