STILL THE BEST

CHAMPS. The Catmoin Integrated School is once again the rulers of elementary girl’s volleyball in the Cviraa meet. (CDN PHOTO/ Glendale Rosal)

Tagbilaran City — As everyone’s attention was riveted on the Cebu City Niños for bagging their 26th overall title in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) Meet, which will come to an end today, the Catmon Integrated School’s elementary girls’ volleyball team etched another milestone for qualifying to the Palarong Pambansa for the 13th time.

The seven-time Palarong Pambansa elementary girls’ volleyball champion representing Cebu Province beat Cebu City, 25-12, 25-17, at the K of C Poblacion II Gymnasium yesterday to clinch their 13th gold medal that serves as their ticket for April’s Palarong Pambansa in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

The vaunted teams of teacher-turned-head coach Vilma Veloso have already come a long way since etching their first milestone in 2009, when they completed a grandslam in the Palarong Pambansa and won four more titles in the following years.

“We are known before because we always play with our hearts and we showed them the same team that won the Palarong Pambansa title for seven times yesterday,” said Veloso, who has retired from coaching and has passed the torch to her son, Zack Vilze Veloso.

Veloso said one of the reasons why she has produced some of the best volleybelles in the region is because she starts training them at a tender age of nine years old and lets them play against male volleyball players.

“I always start them young. At first I let them observe what the technicality of the sport is so that they can decide whether or not they are committed to joining the team. Once they give their commitment, that is the time I will instill the proper training and discipline to mold them into good players in and outside the court,” added Veloso.

Among the noted volleybelles who are products of Catmon is UAAP Season 78 Rookie of the Year Isabel Molde and Justine Dorog both of the University of the Philippines.

Foton Tornadoes’ and NCAA MVP Gretchel Soltones is also a product of the Catmon volleyball program. She also has some players now being trained by the University of Santo Tomas, National University, Hope Christian School and some universities in Cebu.

“Before they left I reminded them all of the values I taught them and not just the training I gave them. And, for me as their former coach, watching them on television representing major universities and commercial teams makes me very proud. What makes them standout among other players is that they always play with their hearts out,” added Veloso.

After the Cviraa Meet, Veloso and her players will start training for the Palarong Pambansa with the hopes of capturing their eighth title.
Confident USP-F

In the secondary girls’ volleyball, the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USP-F), which represented Cebu City, overwhelmed Mandaue City’s Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC), 27-25, 25-20, 25-19, to capture the title for the first time at the University of Bohol gymnasium.

“We were confident before we headed to Bohol. Our main goal is to win the title and qualify for Palarong Pambansa,” said USP-F head coach Yolanda Rizzari.

In the boys secondary volleyball, Cebu City, manned by Southwestern University (SWU), defeated Carcar City in three sets, 25-14, 25-15, 25-17, at the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex.

The Cebu City Niños virtually bagged their 26th title after their elementary and secondary athletes combined for 92 gold medals, 48 silvers and 55 bronze medals, according to the partial and official medal tally of the Department of Education Region VII as of 5 p.m. yesterday.

Co-host Bohol Province is at second place with its 37-35-51 (gold-silver-bronze) tally followed by host city Tagbilaran with 20-18-14. Cebu Province is at fourth place with a medal count of 19-37-24 while Dumaguete City is at fifth place with 15-17-15.