By Kristel Satumbaga
Games Tomorrow
(Ynares Sports Center)
2 p.m. – Generika-Ayala vs Foton
4 p.m. – Sta. Lucia vs Petron
Familiar faces, led by powerhouse Petron and retooled Cocolife, stand in the way of F2 Logistics’ back-to-back bid in the Chooks to Go-Philippine Superliga (PSL) Grand Prix that gets going tomorrow at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City.
Without the core of two-time reigning UAAP titlist La Salle, the Cargo Movers are expected to have a tough grind this time in the opening conference of the club tourney bankrolled by Asics, Mikasa, Senoh, Grand Sport and UCPB Gen with ESPN5 as official broadcast partner.
Touted Venezuelan import Maria Jose Perez and American counterpart Kennedy Bryan are back for another tour of duty with F2 Logistics, which also tapped the services of Japanese libero Minami Yoshioka to bolster its floor defense.
Expected to give the Cargo Movers tough resistance are last year’s losing finalists, the Blaze Spikers who will unleash anew their prized import troika of Americans Lindsay Stalzer, Hillary Hurley and Japanese libero Yuri Fukuda.
The Asset Managers, now under the tutelage of former Foton mentor Moro Branislav, are out to lean mainly on American Taylor Milton and Serbian Sara Klisura plus some key local additions in the off-season.
For the first time in league history, the import-flavored conference will kick things off followed by the Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup, All-Filipino Conference and Invitational Conference in the latter part of the year.
PSL president Ramon “Tats” Suzara said this major change was done to keep the league calendar in sync with the Asian Volleyball Confederation and the International Volleyball Federation.
“The PSL is an active player in the international volleyball arena and it is only fitting that we sync our schedule with those of the AVC and FIVB to give our players good exposure,” said Suzara, the marketing and development committee chairman of the AVC and a member of the FIVB.
PSL chairman Philip Ella Juico also expressed his gratitude to the teams who agreed to compete in the Grand Prix early in the year.
“This is a very special occasion because it is the first time that we hold the Grand Prix at this time of the year,” said Juico, who is also the president of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association, during the press launch yesterday at the Centerstage MOA.
“We’re very grateful to the teams not only for agreeing to shift the calendar, but also for bringing in very good players both locals and overseas. We look forward to an exciting conference.”
Generika-Ayala is also determined to stay in the hunt behind Trinidad and Tobago native Darlene Ramdin and American Symone Hayden, who replaced injured Katarina Pilepic.