By ADRIAN STEWART CO
MANILA – One Silay Sports overcame a slow start to beat Umingan Volleyball Club, 22-25, 32-30, 25-20, 25-19, and claim the bronze medal in the PNVF Under-21 Championship National Men’s Division over the weekend at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Ike Andrew Barelia spearheaded the offense with 30 points, build on 29 attacks and a service ace, while Vin Mark Canoy chipped in 17 markers for One Silay Sports.
One Silay Sports head coach Ronald Premaylon said they are encountering problems in their matches as they are not used to playing in air-conditioned venues.
“We’ve been having some problem getting to fighting form at the start of matches here, we’re not used to cold playing conditions,” said Premaylon.
“It was disappointing to drop the first set, but I had no doubt they would raise their game after the difficult start,” he added. “But I am very happy with our performance this week because we were able to execute our plans.”
Michael Angelo Fernandez had 18 points, while Milson Janrey Galzote contributed 17 points for Umingan VC, which ended in fourth place.
Meanwhile, University of the East Junior Red Warriors recovered from a tense start to defeat Zamboanga City, 22-25, 25-27, 25-20, 25-29, to rule the tournament,
Isaiah John Roca displayed consistent performance for the Junior Red Warriors in the five-day tournament organized by the PNVF to be named as the Most Valuable Player.
Junior Red Warriors head coach Jerome Guhit said that his players had to reset in the second set after playing a little too eagerly in the opener.
“We don’t play that fast. I had to tell them to slow things down, think about the game plan and how we really play,” said Guhit after the game. “I’m glad we were able to pull it off.
“The level of talent in this tournament is high and it’s a huge help in the development of our players,” he added./PN
