SWU-Phinma, Mark Petancio end Cesafi season with a bang

Mark Petancio (12) celebrates with his team after scoring a point in the finals against USC on Saturday, November 23, 2019. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa

CEBU CITY, Philippines – In his last Cesafi season, Mark Kevin Petancio and the rest of the members of the Southwestern University (SWU) Phinma Cobras men’s volleyball team had a goal in mind.

They wanted to become three-peat champions of the Cesafi men’s volleyball tournament.

And, that they just did by sweeping their best-of-three finals series against the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors.

They won Game 2, three sets to one, 25-27, 25-17, 25-21, 25-18, on Saturday, November 23, to finally hand SWU another three-peat.

“Ako jud gipaningkamotan nga dili makuha ang crown, kailangan three-peat namo and dugay na nga way nakakuha sa three-peat, sige lang ka back-to-back. Karon, wa jud namo buhii karon na season,” said Petancio, who was named as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the third straight season with SWU.

(I really tried hard that the crown will not be taken away. We needed to accomplish the three-peat because it has been a while that no one has done that, it’s always been back-to-back. This time, we didn’t let the season go.)

Mark Petancio is the 2019 Cesafi men’s volleyball MVP. CDN Digital photo | Mars G. Alison

Petancio, who is the grandson of former national team member Thelma Datig, is actually a four-time Cesafi men’s volleyball MVP now. He bagged his first MVP award when he was still playing for the University of San Jose Recoletos (USJ-R).

“Very thankful sa Ginoo ug sa Southwestern community nga grabe ka supportive namo, especially sa akong mga friends ug sa akong pamilya nga pirmi ga support nako all throughout the season,” added Petancio, who is playing in his last season in the Cesafi.

(I am very thankful to God and the Southwestern community who is all out in supporting us, especially to my friends and to my family who is also always supporting me all throughout the season.)

Petancio added that he is dedicating the team’s three-peat title and his 4-peat MVP award to his family, who taught him to play volleyball since he was a young kid, as well as to the Southwestern community. / bjmo