The SHS-AdC Magis Eagles girls volleyball team, an all rookie team, are the champions of the Cesafi girls volleyball tournament after they defeated the USJ-R girl’s volleyball team in the championship match in a five-set thriller at the USP-F gymnasium on Dec. 17. | Glendale G. Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The all-rookie Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles girls volleyball team fought like veterans to clinch the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) girls volleyball title in a five-set thriller against the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars, 22-25, 25-19, 25-18, 22-25, and 15-9, on Saturday, December 17, 2022, at the USP-F Gym.
The all-rookie squad of head coach Jamel Macasamat gave him his second title with the Magis Eagles since 2016.
The team, which was formed last May through the Magis Eagles grassroots program in volleyball, showcased an impressive performance against the equally determined Jaguars.
“Ang sakripisyo sa akong mga players sa practices, labi na sa klase nila, paid off na tanan. Nakuha na gyud nila ilang paningkamot,” said Macasamat.
(The sacrifices of the players during their practices, especially in their classes, have paid off. The finally got all that they had worked for.)
“Nagstart mi sa May sa among training camp. Naay uban wala motunga kay nahadlok sa pandemic. Nakasugod na gyud mi og training og maayo pagsugod sa Cesafi. Puros gyud ni sila bag-o, kay kani nga line-up mao unta ni akong paduwaon sa Batang Pinoy, pero nagkapandemic man. Puro ni sila rookie tanan. Ang Ateneo man gud nagsugod mi sa grassroots from elementary to high school. Nagsugod ni sila sa elementary hangtod high school. Wala mi nagkuha og tagagawas,” he said.
(We started training camp in May. There were others who did not show up because they feared the pandemic. We started our hard training at the start of Cesafi. These are all new players because this lineup is what I want to play in the Batang Pinoy, but then the pandemic happened. All of them are rookies. In Ateneo we start from the grassroots, from elementary to high school. They started in elementary until high school. We did not get anybody from the outside.)
Despite losing the match, the Jaguars of head coach Roldan Potot put on a gallant stand. They won the first set, 25-22, after a back-and-forth battle.
The Magis Eagles tied the match at 1-1, with a dominant outing, 25-19, in the second set and went on to winning the third set, 25-18, to put them ahead two sets to one over the Jaguars.
Not to be outfought, the Jaguars came alive in the fourth set by capitalizing on the Magis Eagles’ unforced errors to force a deciding set, 25-22.
In the final set, the Magis Eagles bounced back from their fourth set mistakes by starting it with a blistering, 4-1, all coming from their attacks.
The Jaguars managed to tie the score at 7-all, but the Magis Eagles quickly answered them back with five straight points to regain the lead, 12-7.
They went on to scoring the last three points, while limiting the Jaguars to two to seal the match, 15-9.
“Ako sila giingnan paghuman sa fourth set nga kung moduwa mo sa inyong dinuwaan walay makapildi ninyo. Pero kung wala mo nakafocus sa duwa, wala tay mahimo ana, pildi gyud ta. Mao to pagfifth set, ako sila giremind nga enjoy the game pero ayaw kalimot og focus. Mao to nidaog jud sila,” said Macasamat.
(I told them after the fourth set to play like your usual game then nobody could beat them. But if you lose focus in your game, then there is nothing we can do, we will lose. So in the fifth set, I reminded them to just enjoy the game but also to not forget to focus. That is why they really won.)
Freya Margaretta Elderfield bagged the “Most Valuable Player” plum and the “Best Setter” award for the Magis Eagles. Her teammate, Jerusha Chris Atay was named the “Best Outside Hitter.”
Their teammates, Joaneesse Gabrielle Perez as the “Best Middle Blocker” and Samantha Kiara Tatad as the “Best Libero.”
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