Cargo Movers, 2 others all set for PVL season grind

(first best outside spiker) and Mars Alba (best setter), along with Far Eastern U’s Jovelyn Fernandez (best opposite spiker) were signed by F2 Logistics during the break.

REINFORCING a roster in the runup to any major sporting campaign has been a virtual must-do scheme for any team and F2 Logistics, Cignal and Choco Mucho, among others, made sure to whip up their respective squads with key acquisitions in time for the second Premier Volleyball League offering this year. The PVL Invitational Conference gets going tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan with a record 13 teams, including three newcomers and two foreign guest squads, all primed for the month-long skirmish of power, style and poise.

But Creamline, given its intact roster and vast championship experience, remains the yardstick and the marked squad, not just in Group A which it heads in the two-pool, single-round eliminations but also in the other side led by the Cargo Movers, the HD Spikers and the Flying Titans.

midable roster. The La Salle duo of Jolina Dela Cruz

“I’m really excited to coach these girls again,” said F2 Logistics head coach Regine Diego. “Hopefully, they will be able to connect and gel with the other girls as soon as possible.”

While Choco Mucho also retained its nucleus led by its triple-tower combo in Kat Tolentino, Maddie Madayag and Bea de Leon, it went for a diminutive but talented fighter in Sisi Rondina to boost its campaign in the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, Mikasa, SMART, Rebisco, Kumu, Asics and SportRadar.

The 5-foot-6 ace from Cebu, noted for her high-flying ways and aggressive plays, had focused on beach volleyball and the national team the last four years, but has been lured into making an indoor volleyball comeback where she is expected to shine and help make the difference for the Flying Titans.

“Sa pinapakita ngayon ni Sisi sa train-

ZAMBOANGA Family’s Brand Sardines turned hot and spicy in the fourth quarter and routed Rizal XentroMall, 74-57, on Saturday in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season at the Bataan People’s Center in Balanga.

Spiced up by Jaycee Marcelino, Zamboanga bunched 11 points while holding Rizal scoreless in over 4 minutes to break away and tally its 12th win against 3 losses in the single roundrobin elimination phase of the two-division, 29team tournament.

Showing why he’s the league’s reigning MVP, Marcelino posted a game-high 27 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists to earn best player honors for Zamboanga, last year’s South conference titlist and the 2023 MPBL Preseason Invitational champion.

Marcelino got ample support from his twin Jayvee, Andy Santos and Joseph Gabayni, who made ing namin, nakikita ko na malaki siyang tulong sa offense at floor defense namin. Malaking tulong din ang tapang at pagiging agresibo niya sa training,” said Choco Mucho mentor Dante Alinsunurin.

12 points each, and homegrown John Mahari, who added 7 plus a game-high 12 rebounds.

Jayvee Marcelino also grabbed 7 rebounds and issued 6 assists aside from canning backto-back triples that buried Rizal to its 11 loss in 17 starts.

No Rizal player was able to score in twin digits with homegrown Troy Mallillin finishing with 9 plus 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.

In other games, Iloilo subdued Bacolod, 8073, and Imus foiled Bataan, 75-68.

The Iloilo United Royals crawled out of an 18-point hole (8-26) to snap a 5-game skid and catch up with its victim at 6-10.

Former San Beda star Justine Sanchez sparkled for Iloilo with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists and got help from fellow former Red Lion Tony Ynot, who chalked 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks for Coach Manu Inigo.

Bacolod got 18 points from Dom Matillano, 13 from John Cantimbuhan and 10 from Coy Alves.

Powered by Jaymar Gimpayan and Carlo Lastimosa, Imus SV Squad pulled away at 70-55 before coasting to its 6th win against 8 losses.

Gimpayan fired 19 points, snagged 21 rebounds, issued 5 assists and blocked 5 shots while Lastimosa contributed 16 points, including 3 triples.

Bataan, which fell to 6-9, got 17 points from James Castro, 12 from Yves Sazon and 10 from Jamil Gabawan. The MPBL visits the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan on Monday with a triple pill pitting Manila against Valenzuela at 4 p.m., Pasay against Pampanga at 6 p.m., and Batangas against San Juan at 8 p.m.

The HD Spikers of Shaq Delos Santos, on the other hand, made two key signings, acquiring Ateneo de Manila University’s Vanie Gandler and Army’s Jovelyn Gonzaga, who took a break last conference.

Like Creamline, Petro Gazz kept the core that led the Angels to the All-Filipino Conference Finals with Korean Volleyball League-bound MJ Phillips and Remy Palma this conference ready to anchor the team’s title drive again.

Completign the Group B cast are newcomers Farm Fresh and Foton.

F2 Logistics and Farm Fresh usher in the new conference at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow with Petro Gazz and Cignal squaring off at 4 p.m.

Creamline and Chery Tiggo collide in the main dish at 6:30 p.m. Games will be telecast on PVL.ph, One Sports, and One Sports+ with live streaming on Smart Livestream and Cignal Play.

WHEN around 40 thousand people gathered at the Philippine Arena to see the global superstar Bruno Mars, I knew to expect some things, including a potentially horrendous traffic situation. My previous experience attending Harry Styles’ Love On Tour concert in March made me almost miss the opening due to traffic.

So, for the first day of the Bruno Mars concert on Saturday, June 24, I made sure to leave much earlier. I left Quezon City at 3:30 p.m. for a 7:00 p.m. concert, thinking that was already early enough. Little did I know, I was in for a surprise. It took me until 8:00 p.m. to reach the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, and I finally managed to enter the venue