SAN JUAN CITY, Philippines - In an impressive display of skill and teamwork, PLDT dominated Capital1 with scores of 25-13, 25-15, 25-16 during Saturday's Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference preliminary round at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
According to Philippines News Agency, Filipino-Canadian player Savannah Dawn Davison led the High Speed Hitters to their third win in four matches, scoring a remarkable 22 points, including 19 attacks.
Davison, who also contributed nine excellent digs, shared her enthusiasm for the team's energy during the game, noting its positive impact on her performance. Teammate Fiola Mae Ceballos added 10 spikes to the team's victory, further cementing their position in the league after just 74 minutes of play.
Rhea Dimaculangan and Kath Arado also made significant contributions, scoring 12 and delivering 13 excellent digs and six receptions, respectively. Coach Rald Ricafort praised the team for their consistent performance and highlighted the importance of role players in the win. He emphasized the need for the team to bring the pressure-handling skills practiced in training to their game performance for better consistency.
On the other side, the Solar Spikers, now standing at 1-3, saw Heather Guino-o and Sydney Niegos scoring six points each, with Jannine Navarro adding another four points. Despite their efforts, the Solar Spikers were unable to overcome the High Speed Hitters' momentum.
NEW CLARK CITY, Philippines - Japan's women's water polo team emerged victorious at the 11th Asian Age Group Championships, securing the gold medal with an undefeated record.According to Philippines News Agency, Japan's triumph was highlighted in their final match against Uzbekistan, where they showcased their prowess with a 24-6 win, marking their sixth consecutive victory in the competition.
The team's success was led by captain Shoka Fukuda, who scored nine goals, and Kaho Shironoshita, who added six goals in the decisive match. Coach Tsubasa Mori, who served on the national team from 2012 to 2016 and competed at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships, expressed his joy and gratitude towards all the teams that participated. Mori acknowledged the stiff competition faced from Thailand, which Japan narrowly defeated with a 19-15 score in a previous match, highlighting Thailand's aggressive and skilled play.
Thailand clinched the silver medal after defeating Kazakhstan 15-11, finishing the tournament with a 5-1 win-loss record. The bronze medal was awarded to China, which concluded the championships with a 4-2 record following a 21-4 victory over Singapore. Kazakhstan finished in fourth place with a 3-3 record, followed by Uzbekistan and Singapore, both ending with 1-4 slates, and Sri Lanka, which did not win a match.
The medal ceremony featured dignitaries including World Aquatics president Husain Al-Musallam from Kuwait, Vice President Daichi Suzuki of Japan, and Executive Director Seyed Faridedin Fatahian of Iran, who presented the awards to the winning teams. At the time of reporting, the men's division was still in contention, with the bronze medal match between China and Kazakhstan underway, to be followed by the championship match between Japan and Iran.