AFTER BEING sidelined this season due to confidential reasons, University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) senior Left John Tormis wants to make a strong return next year as he looks to lead the Spiking Panthers to its first championship in the Cesafi indoor volleyball tournament.
The 20-year-old Tormis had a great 2015, leading USPF to the semifinals and winning the Private Schools Athletics Association Most Valuable Player plum at the same year.
He was due for another stellar year in 2016 but things went south for him when he learned he was not going to be part of the Spiking Panthers team for private reasons.
Though it was frustrating for the Mandaue City-native Tormis, that setback did not make him stop playing the game he loved as he joined barangay leagues not only in Cebu but also down south in Mindanao, where he and new USPF recruit Dan Garnica bagged the beach volleyball crown in a tournament held in Misamis Oriental.
“It’s the 16th season of the Cesafi already but we still haven’t won a crown ever since,” Tormis said. “I want to bring the team back to the top and maybe help win the crown if we get lucky.”
The Spiking Panthers haven’t been that successful in the indoor tournament as their best finish came during 2013, when they were runners up to the University of San Jose-Recoletos Spiking Jaguars.
Things got worse for the Spiking Panthers this season as they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2009, finishing just fifth in the elimination round with a 2-4 (win-loss) record.
Tormis will return as team captain for the Spiking Panthers, who are expected to have a taller and quicker lineup with the addition of the six-foot-two Garnica.