OVERHEARD: Three-point gunner Marvin Lee will not be part of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers roster in the UAAP Season 82 men’s seniors basketball this September.
Sources told the Buzzer Beater that Tigers head coach Aldin Ayo has removed Lee from the team due to “disciplinary reasons” and his starting guard position will now be inherited by Negrense rookie Mark Nonoy.
Lee, however, has no plans to transfer to other schools or universities for his final year of eligibility and will instead play for Manila Stars in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
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Despite falling short, there are still a lot of positives in the Philippines’ campaign in the 2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Boracay Open, which highlighted by the gallant fifth place finish by Negrense Bernadeth Pons and Cherry Rondina.
After matching last year’s quarterfinals run in the Beach World Tour, the country’s top sand court players are looking forward to elevate their level of play in future international competitions.
“Given a chance, paghahandaan namin ito,” said Rondina, a four-time UAAP beach volleyball champion with University of Santo Tomas. “We are grateful and blessed na sa mga nakalaban namin, marami kaming natutunan.”
Rondina and Pons led the Philippines to victories against Japan’s Shinako Tanaka and Miyuki Matsumura, 21-14, 21-8, in pool play and Russian’s Ekaterina Filina and Ekaterina Zazhigina, 21-18, 21-6, in the Round of 12.
The Visayan pair lost to Japan’s Sakurako Fujii and Minori Kumada, 17-21, 19-21, in the quarters, but not without putting up a gutsy stand in front of an energetic crowd at the White House Beach Station 1.
“So thankful sa opportunity na makapaglaro sa FIVB (Beach World Tour). Maybe in the next FIVB (Beach World Tour), makakapag-prepare kami ng mahaba at mas malayo pa ang marating namin,” said Pons.
“Sobrang saya pa rin namin. Sobrang nagpapasalamat ako sa opportunity na makapaglaro dito and sobrang thankful ako sa support ng mga tao dito sa Boracay,” added the Negrense beach volleybelle.
Philippines has shown improvement in the Beach World Tour 1-star event, with Negrense Bea Tan and Dij Rodriguez making it to the Round of 12, while Ilonggas Jackie Estoquia and DM Demontaño putting up a tough fight before exiting in pool play.
Like Rondina, veterans Tan, Estoquia and Demontaño have completed their second straight Beach World Tour campaign. A fourth Philippine women’s pair, Babylove Barbon and Gen Eslapor, played in the qualifiers.
The men’s teams were composed of Ranran Abdilla and Jesse Lopez, James Buytrago and Krung Arbasto, and Mike Abria and Jade Becaldo, as the three pairs played with a lot of pride to gain the much-needed experience going up against top-notch international players./PN
