IEM halts Braganza in Quezon City Pride Volley Cup opener

MANILA, Philippines – Instituto Estetico Manila (IEM)-A showed grace under pressure as it pulled off a come-from-behind 22-25, 25-22, 35-33 victory over Braganza in the opening-day yesterday of the first Quezon City Pride Volleyball Cup at the Amoranto Stadium.

A former campaigner in the men’s division of the Philippine Superliga (PSL), the Volley Masters started out slow before going for the kill in the third set to claim their first win in this two-day spectacle organized by Sports Core and the Quezon City government for members of the LBGT community.

Alex Goyal, Michael Aranza Mendez and Reyvic Cerilles delivered the telling blows in the crucial stretch of the deciding set to overcome Braganza, much to the delight and excitement of a good crowd that trooped to the venue to witness the country’s first ever volleyball tourney for members of the third sex.

Also making its mark is IEM-B which tallied a pair of wins to inch closer to the next round.

The towering duo of Rimney Morales and Edward Arroyo sizzled early on to chalk up an easy 25-14, 28-26 win over Stallion before crushing the Pink Warriors, 25-13, 25-16, later in the day.

Other first day winners include Sesahood over Competitive Volleyball Group, 25-21, 25-12; Pink Warriors C over Pink Warriors B, 25-14, 25-19; and Joan’s Angels over Pink Warriors A, 25-13, 25-16.

Quezon City Councilor Mayen Juico made the opening remarks together with Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, Councilor Onie Belmonte, PSL chairman Philip Ella Juico and PSL commissioner Ian Laurel.

“We hope that this tournament brings out the best in all the participants,” said Juico, the proponent of the city’s gender equality ordinance. “This is just part of our gender fair ordinance which aims for the human development of all, not just the LBGT.”