ANG BAGONG IVAN VILLANUEVA NG AMA ONLINE EDUCATION TEAM

courtesy of slamonlineph.com

Sa pagbaba ng kanyang timbang, biglang tumaas ang kalidad ng laro ni AMA Online Education power-forward Ivan Villanueva. Matapos magbawas ng 30 pounds sa isang buwang pagdyidyieta,  nakapagtala ng 29 points at 15 rebounds ang dating player ng Adamson kontra Zark's Burger. Kontra Batangas, nagtala ang mas magaan na Villanueva ng 14 points at 3 rebounds para pangunahan ang kanyang koponan.

Abangan ang panayam ni Bandera Correspondent Eric Dimzon para malaman ang secret diet ni Ivan Villanueva na sadyang nagpabago ng kanyang laro.

WHEN BASHING IS A GOOD THING

courtesy of sports.inquirere.net

Officials, coaches and even players of LVPI are getting their fair share of bashing in social media.

While I usually do not condone it, bashing, as applied to LVPI officials, coaches and players is somehow warranted. We have to bear in mind that LVPI took it upon itself to improve the state of volleyball in the Philippines. It shamelessly took away from PVF the responsibility to "save" volleyball from further deterioration. It destroyed a national team program that PVF started which was supported by the biggest companies in the country. It destroyed a grassroots program that would have ensured the continuity of a sound and effective national team program.

After three years in power, LVPI only has dead-last finishes and massacres of its teams to show off. At the last Asian Women's Club Championship. the PSL-Rebisco team finished dead last and was badly beaten by unknown club teams. Despite the presence of volleyball "superstars" in its teams, LVPI teams continue to falter and fail to win medals for the country.

LVPI officials, including their coaches and players, should know by now that it will really take 5-10 years of a comprehensive and effective national team program for the Philippines to finally win in international tournaments. What LVPI offers is palliative by forming teams that merely practice a month before their tournament. The teams have tune-up games in China and Japan which LVPI thinks will turn the teams competitive overnight. And LVPI turns to media for hype which only frustrates the volleyball community once results from tournaments come in. For the SEA Games, LVPI dares to say to media that it hopes for a silver medal finish for its team in women's volleyball. This comes after finishing fifth in a field of six teams two years ago.

So I say let the bashings continue. Hopefully, the bashings will force LVPI officials, coaches and players to shape up and have the initiative to do well in a task that it took on without a blink of an eye.

ALYSSA SOLOMON : ANG SUSUNOD NA MUKHA NG PHILIPPINE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Isa na namang Alyssa ang maging mukha ng women's volleyball sa Pilipinas. Siya si Alyssa Solomon, labing-limang taong gulang at kasalukuyang mag-aaral ng Perpetual Help Binan. Sa taas na 6'2", malaki ang potensyal ni Alyssa na maging pambato ng Pilipinas maging sa international tournaments. Sa nakaraang Palarong Pambansa, pinangunayan niya ang koponan ng CALABARZON sa kampeonato. Si Alyssa ang tinanghal na MVP ng torneo.

Kinapanayam ni Bandera Correspondent Eric Dimzon ang susunod na superstar ng Philippine volleyball. Narito ang kanyang mga pahayag.

1. Paano ka natutong maglaro ng volleyball ?

Yung parents ko po pinu-push po akong mag-volleyball pero ayoko po. Then one day, may pa-tryout sa school namin sa Balibago Elementary School. Ayun po, nagtuluy-tuloy na po dahil nagustihan ko na po.

2. Paano ka napunta sa Perpetual Help ng Binan ?

Yung coach ko po sa Balibago, ka-vlose po yung coach din po sa Perpetua;. Nirekomenda po ako  para maglaro sa Perpetual. Nakuha naman po ako. Grade 7 po ako nang lumipat po ako sa Perpetual Binan. 

3. Paano mo ilalarawan ang experience mo sa nakaraang Palaring Pambansa ?

Masata po kaso mahirap. First time ko po kasi na maglaro sa Palaro. Nakakakaba po.

4. Inaasahan ninyo ba na kayo ang magiging kampeon ?

Si Coach Regine (Diego) po expected niya na kaya po namin mag-champion. Pero kami po, hindi.

5. Ano ang pakiramdam nang mag-kampeon nga kayo?

Sobrang saya po kasi di po namin ini-expect. Umiyak po kami nang manalo kami dahil humabol lang po kami sa game.

6. In-expect mo ba na ikaw ang magiging MVP ?

Hindi po. Hindi po talaga.

7. Anong aral ang natutunan mo sa Palaro ?

Lumaban lang po at wag susuko.

8. Paano nakakatulong sa iyo ang volleyball ?

Yung parents ko po, walang binabayara sa school. Tapos po yung allowance ko po, binibigay ko sa kanila.

9. Nire-recruit ka na ba ng mga Metro Manila schools and universities ngayon ?

Ini-invite po ako. Naguguluhan po ako. Bata pa po ako para mag-desisyon nang matindi at madalian po.

10. Pangarap mo bang maging national player ?

Pangarap ko po yun. Gusto ko po maglaro sa SEA Games, Asian Games at kung sakali po sa Olympics.

11. May gusto ka bang pasalamatan sa tagumpay na inaani mo ngayon ?

Si Coach Regine po. Yung mga teammates ko po. Yung parents ko po. Pati parents po ng teammates ko po na effort po na panoorin kami. At yung Perpetual po.

ALYSSA SOLOMON : THE NEW VOLLEYBALL SUPERSTAR IN THE MAKING

At the last Palarong Pambansa, the girls volleyball team of Calabarzon exceeded expectations by defeating its more fancied opponents to bag the championship. Credit must go to the coach and its sensational rookie Alyssa Solomon. Solomon is only 15 years old but stands 6'2". Her volleyball IQ and skills make her a budding superstar in women's volleyball. Soloman was crowned MVP in the last Palaro.

Know more about her in an interview by yours truly.