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Mandaue Sweeps Carcar for 1st Gov’s Cup Volleyball Crown
If there is a fitting sendoff gift Mandaue City can give to its homegrown talent who is heading to the big league, it will be a championship trophy.
Mandaue did just that to its ace spiker and team captain Shiela Mae Kiseo after it routed Carcar City again, 25-17, 25-20, 25-18, in Game 2 of the Governor’s Cup Inter-cities/Municipalities Volleyball Tournament Wednesday night.
The title-clinching victory became much sweeter for Kiseo, who was also named as the Most Valuable Player of the inaugural tournament, organized by the Cebu Provincial Government.
And there was no perfect place for Kiseo to celebrate the memorable victory than at her home turf in the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex, together with supporters, her teammates’ families and city officials.
“This title is a product of team effort and hard work, including my MVP award. Without my teammates, we won’t be able to win this crown, as well as the MVP trophy,” said a teary-eyed Kiseo during a post-game interview.
Kiseo, a standout of the University of San Jose-Recoletos high school varsity squad, accepted the offer to play for the Far Eastern University (FEU) in the collegiate tournaments. FEU is one of the powerhouse teams in the UAAP.
During the awarding ceremony, Gov. Hilario P. Davide III and his wife Jobel Angan-Davide, handed over the trophy, medals and the whooping prize of P300,000 to Mandaue City.
“I hope we can sustain this sports program. Through CPSC (Cebu Provincial Sports Commission), we will continue this tournament next year,” Davide said.
Also present during the awarding were Mandaue City Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna, Provincial Board Member Glenn Bercede and City Councilor Kevin Cabahug.
CPSC Executive Director lawyer Ramil Abing, for his part, said that the players deserved a second season, adding that they would be looking for ways on how to improve the league next year.
Mandaue opened the best-of-three finals series on Monday with a crushing victory over the South Division champion, 25-22, 25-18, 25-17 at the latter’s home in Carcar City.
With momentum and the support of fans on their side, the Mandaue Lady Spikers capitalized once more their height advantage led by Kiseo, Chinnie Arroyo, Ressel Pedroza and Kiersten Chanel Petancio to finish off Cacar City, who went home with P200,000.
Following their Game 1 rout, the Carcar Lady Spikers appeared ready for the tough task, as they held their ground within striking distance in the first two sets. They even managed to take a 6-1 lead in the third set.
But the wind-up in every set seemed to be a bane for Carcar volleybelles, caving in to pressure that resulted in defensive disarray and erratic offense.
Upped by four, 22-18, in the third set, Mandaue City scored three straight service aces courtesy of Jolly Velasquez to shut the lights out of Carcar City.
In the battle for third place, Catmon crushed Argao, 28-26, 25-16, 25-12 in a winner-take-all match for the P100,000 prize. Argao took home P50,000 for finishing fourth.
