ATHLETICS

Xaverians Nail Spikes on the Court
Jaime Leogardo (H4C), Xavier Volleyball Varsity Team member

Posted Monday, 26-Sep-2005 1:49 PM

      September 18, Sunday, meant another game for the Xavier Volleyball Team in the Filipino-Chinese Amateur Athletic Federation (FCAAF) Volleyball Tournament, and our team was set to play against the spikers of Philippine Pasay Chung Hua Academy (PPCHA).

     Pre-game. The game ahead did not look like a sure-win situation as our team was going miss the services of two key players. Setter Christopher Gotianun, due to uniform regulations, had to be replaced by star spiker Julio Inocencio, and libero , Angelo Santos, had another affair to attend to, and could not be present at the start of the game. Moreover, Xavier held a record of only being able to beat this team once for a number of years now. Thus, the pressure was there even before the start of the match.

     During the game. Xavier started out the first set surprisingly strong, finishing with a 25-10 victory. It wasn't an easy game though, as it was very difficult to get past the PPCHA defense, and Inocencio was not as experienced as Gotianun at setting up the ball for spikers, Leonard Loo, Kirby Cheng, Richard Uy, and Jordan Tee.

       The second set also went by pretty well, though a bit more nail-biting than the first as PPCHA spiker #9 Cheng proved to be tough to block, as well. Fortunately, the Xavier players’ skill and determination, coupled with the unfaltering cheers coming from the bench and the sidelines, enabled the team to grab the second set.

       By the third set, Chris was back in the setting position, and Julio was given the chance to do what he does best -- nailing the ball on the opponents ’ floor. Meanwhile, libero, Santos also arrived, but was not brought into the game anymore, as the team was already doing quite well at reception. Thus, third set ended in Xavier ’s favor, thus ending the match with another victory for the team.

      Post-game. Coach Albert commended Santos for still making the extra effort to attend the game, and named Julio Inocencio as the game’s Most Valuable Player for his laudable all-around efforts as setter, spiker, and receiver.

       The coach’s victory count against PPCHA was finally upped to two, and his concentration was reverted back to the Inter-Scholastic Sports Association (ISSA) Volleyball Tournament and the next game against the Jose Abad Santos Memorial School (JASMS), which will be held in the Xavier High School Gym.

       With this victory, the team encourages the community to continue supporting the Xavier Volleyball Team, as we continue to fight to retain our number one spot in both ongoing tournaments. Luceat Lux!

Note: Incidentally, Xavier won over JASMS last September 23, 2005 in three straight sets, 25-10, 25-22, and 25-12.

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