F2’s Majoy Baron (left) and Kim Kianna Dy (right) tries to block a spike from CPS’s Jelai Gajero during their PNVF Champions League match. | Photo from PNVF
CEBU CITY, Philippines — After enduring almost a two-year hiatus, the vaunted F2 Logistics Cargo Movers bagged their first hard-earned victory against a feisty young California Precision Sports (CPS), 25-21, 25-14, 25-19, in the inaugural Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Champions League on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at the Aquamarine Recreational Center, Lipa, Batangas.
Cargo Movers coach Ramil de Jesus acknowledged the vigor and potential of their young opponents in their club tournament debut.
“We were surprised kasi bihira kasi sa high school ang ganyang galaw. Mataas ang level na ipinakita nila so kailangan naming sumabay at nilagpasan namin ang galaw ng kalaban,” said De Jesus.
(We were surprised because it is seldom that you see those kind of moves from high school players. The level of play that they showed was very high so we needed to match this and we surpassed the moves of our opponents.)
F2, a multiple-time PSL champion was tested by the Antipolo City-based CPS, which has an average age of volleyball players at 16 years old, in the first set before pressing hard on the pedal in the next two to prevail.
Kalei Mau led the Cargo Movers with 13 points and was all praises for CPS.
“Awesome. I think they have bright future. I really thank them for coming out and giving their best because it actually helped bring us out of our two-year hiatus,” said Mau who played for the Philippine Women’s Volleyball Team in the recent AVC Volleyball Championships in Thailand in October.
“They really put up some situations that we really have to come together as a team and be F2.”
CPS captain Kizzie Madriaga vowed to play at a high level against their experienced foes in the bubble.
“Ibubuhos po namin lahat, kasi wala namang mawawala sa amin,” Madriaga said.
(We will give our all because we will lose nothing if we do it.)
“Especially po professionals ang kalaban namin. It has been an honor for us to play against them, F2.”
(Especially since our foes are professionals. It has been an honor for us to play against them, F2)
The other national team mainstays besides Mau at F2—Aby Maraño, Majoy Baron and Kim Kianna Dy—also finished in double figures.
Maraño and Baron each had 11 points with Baron scoring four blocks, while Dy had three blocks for a 10-point outing.
Iris Tolenada, another national team stalwart and F2’s newest acquisition, tossed in 16 excellent sets and produced five digs, while national libero Dawn Macandili had seven digs and five receptions.
Casiey Dongalo led CPS with 13 points while Jelai Gajero added eight points to go with six receptions and five digs.
F2 will next face Baguio City at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday in the tournament.
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