US mentor leads all-female coaching team for Adamson

MANILA, Philippines - Adamson University will have an all-female coaching team when the Lady Falcons kicks off their title campaign in the 79th UAAP seniors women’s volleyball early next year.

Aiming to soar higher in the upcoming season, the Akari Lighting and Technology Corp.-backed Adamson has tapped American coach Airess Padda as head coach with Cherry Macatangay, Michele Gumabao and Angeli Tabaquero as assistants.

“For three years now, we have been supporting Adamson’s basketball and volleyball teams as part of Akari’s youth development and sports programs,” said Russell Balbacal, Akari Lighting and Technology sports director and the Lady Falcons’ team manager. “We hope that the team-up of head coach Airess with Cherry, Michele and Angeli will mold the Lady Falcons into a strong unit, and hopefully clinch the championship title. With their individual success in the UAAP and professional leagues, we are confident that their winning ways and attitude will rub off to our young team.”

Akari also supports scholarship projects to reinforce their commitment to education.

A highly successful athlete-turned-coach, Padda is the founder and director of Malibu Palms Volleyball Club. She began her coaching career with the Hacienda Heights Volleyball Club in 2008 before being appointed as the head coach of the junior varsity team at Sierra Canyon whom she led to a state championship in 2013. Padda also worked as head coach at Malibu High School where in her first season, she took the girl’s team to their best finish to date.

Macatangay, a multi-titled volleyball player, is a former Adamson Lady Falcon and a three-time Best Scorer and a Most Valuable Player (MVP) titlist for the Shakey’s V-League Conference while Gumabao led the Lady Spikers to a three-peat in the UAAP and bagged two Best Blocker trophies and a Finals MVP award in UAAP 75. Most recently, she took home the Finals MVP honors in the Shakey’s V-League Reinforced Conference.