Magis Eagles determined to rule Cesafi v’ball anew

Reigning Cesafi girls’ champion SHS-AdC in action in this file photo.

Winning back-to-back titles has seemingly eluded teams in the Cebu Schools Athletics Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) girls division lately with the University of San Carlos being the last squad to win it two years in a row during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

This upcoming season, the reigning Cesafi girls’ champion Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) hopes to change that, as it looks to defend its crown in the 17th season of Cesafi girls’ volleyball, which opens this August.

The Magis Eagles know the road to the top is not going to be easy, but the girls’ team head coach Mario Sala is optimistic of their chances, as they set their sights on another title.

“We know it’s always a hard climb in the Cesafi. I just personally hope and pray that our team will continue to be one, as we prepare for the tough competitions,” Sala said.

Making the quest a bit difficult is the fact that the Magis Eagles lost some key players during the break. One of them is Cesafi best libero Paula Cañete, who reached the age limit for secondary athletes, which is 18 years old. The team also lost Kyla Sy and Shanika Pardillo, who both decided to leave the team to focus on their studies.

To address their manpower woes, the Magis Eagles have added Gabrielle de Lira, Victoria Ocon and Katrina Yu to their lineup and acquired former University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) middle blocker Kirstin Ojeda.

Meanwhile, the SHS-AdC boys’ team, which fell a win short of a semifinals stint last season, is also eager to make some noise this year.

The boys’ squad, which will be led by newly-appointed team captain Ian Apostol, has added Ken Bollozos, Ralph San Miguel, Nathan Gomez and libero Enricke Rubic after losing their former skipper Jude Odi, who is already in Grade 12.

“Last [season], we were ranked 5th. So this year, we aim higher, meaning [we want] to be part of the top 4,” said boys head coach Emmanuel Rivera.

Although they are walking on different roads and facing different challenges, the one thing common between the Magis Eagles boys’ and girls’ squads is their goal of enduring the tough grind ahead, as they look to bring home the titles in their respective divisions.