Lady Eagles to parade veteran lineup in PVL return

MANILA, Philippines – Ateneo teams up with Motolite as it makes a much-anticipated return after skipping one conference when the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference unfurls on Saturday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The Lady Eagles will be bannered by a veteran cast headed by Bea de Leon, Maddie Madayag, Kat Tolentino and Kim Gequillana as they mix it up with the league’s top teams like reigning Reinforced Conference champion Creamline and former titlist Pocari Sweat-Air Force.

Ateneo will also parade a new coach in Oliver Almandro, who also happens to be the coach of the men’s volleyball squad, after parting ways with long-time Thai coach Tai Bundit last May with hopes of changing its fortune for the better.

The Lady Eagles will also parade blue-chip recruits including Vanessa Gandler and setter Jaja Maraguinot, sister of former star Jho who came from La Salle-Lipa.

Ateneo, however, will play on Sunday against a Pocari Sweat-Air Force team headed by former league MVP Myla Pablo, Jeannette Panaga, Elaine Kasilag, Iaro Yongco and Del Palomata.

Ushering in the league are games pitting the Tacloban Fighting Warays with the PetroGazz Angels at 4 p.m. and the Banko-Perlas Spikers with the Iriga-Navy Lady Uragons at 6 p.m.

Also joining is Akari Adamson.

The Cool Smashers will be the team to beat having Alyssa Valdez, Jia Morado, Risa Sato and Melissa Gohing, who are part of the Rebisco-Philippine team currently seeing action in the AVC tournament in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

All matches will be aired live on LIGA SkyCable channel 86, LIGA HD SkyCable channel 183, Youtube and livestream and will be aired on a delayed basis at ABS-CBN S+A and S+A HD except the second match during Sunday games.

Meanwhile, the PVL’s Ricky Palou announced the league will continue to stage out-of-town games in Malolos and Baliwag, Bulacan, Imus, Cavite, Batangas City and Cagayan de Oro.
In the past, the league also reached out to its fans by bringing games to Batangas, Tuguegara, Iloilo, Bacolod among others.