The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Under-18 Championships kicked off on Friday with seven matches, including wins for California Precision Sports (CPS) and Parañaque Green Berets in the girls’ pool play.
CPS, coached by Dr. Obet Estrella Vital and based in Antipolo City, relied on their experience and precision attacks to beat Marikina Titans Volleyball Club 25-11, 25-11 in a Pool D match.
“The players performed well to my expectations, although half of them are new,” Vital said. “I’m really happy, and we’re hoping we continue winning.”
CPS will face Santa Rosa City in their second game on Saturday, aiming to keep their winning streak alive.
Parañaque Green Berets also won their opening match, beating New Gen. Sta. Cruz Laguna 25-11, 25-18 in Pool A. Meanwhile, Grace Christian College Foundation of Taguig City overcame Parañaque Thunderbolts Volleyball Club 25-20, 25-18 in Pool B action.
The championships will feature 36 teams, including 20 girls and 16 boys, playing for four consecutive weekends. All matches will be best-of-three, and the medal plays for both genders will take place on March 12, according to PNVF President Ramon “Tats” Suzara.
In addition to the matches mentioned above, the opening day of the championships saw Team Hiraya (Angono) and Volida Volleyball Club (Manila) face off in a girls’ Pool D clash, Justice CM Palma High School (Quezon City) and Team Makati (Pool A) compete in the boys’ contest, Queen Anne School (Santa Rosa) and Team Nagcarlan Laguna (Pool D) battle it out, and MNHS-Antipolo City and Philippine Christian University (Pool B) go head-to-head.
The victories for CPS and Parañaque Green Berets on the first day of the championships will give them confidence as they continue to compete in their respective pools. With three weekends of matches to go, there is still plenty of time for the other teams to catch up, and it will be exciting to see which teams emerge as the top contenders for the medals.
