Weekend # 6 - Part 3

UAAP Women's Volleyball Tournament

2nd Round

February 11, Saturday

Arena, San Juan

Lady Tigers Beat Spiraling Lady Falcons

25-22    25-21    25-8

- A sight often seen in the game -

The Tigers scoring over the Falcons.

The UST defense stays solid as veteran Pau Soriano [#2] elevates and streches. Soriano totals 14 attack points for Adamson but it is clearly - -

[2 images follow]

- - the Day of the Tiger as Maru Banaticla, has 15, Judy Caballejo has 11, and Maika Ortiz has 10.  The rest of the Lady Falcons [aside from Soriano] combine for 18 -  exactly HALF of the UST Trio's combined output of 36.

Sheila Pineda [#3-below right], clearly out of shape, 

plays sparingly in the 2nd and 3rd sets.

She contributes a solitary point for Adamson.

A confident UST coaching staff cheerfully oblige a snap.

Only they, The Tigers, and the Archers have beaten the strong Ateneo Team. After their last Elimenation Round match, they are now well on their way to a playoff encounter with the Lady Eagles, who are Solid Second.  The Archers, meanwhile, remain unbeaten but still have one last Elimenation Round match against up and coming against, guess who - the Ateneo Lady Eagles.

brosi gonzales

Koreana

"My Grace Lee"

Quirky, Misleading title ? - not quite.  Here are a few 35mm film images of my American friend's half-Korean/half American neice, who i had the fortune of dating [As in taking her around the Metro bars and all sevX] - years back [film was the norm then].  I knew then that she would be here only for a few months but of course I couldn't help but - - - Now, let me NOT get into that. 

 This is a sports-portrait blog, not some relationship-oriented thingy.

Bottom line, Let me just share some images from a one-on-one photo shoot, which I did at her aunt's place, using studio lights and a cotton background.

Since these images are from scanned analogue prints, one will notice the smudges, and minute surface scratches on the photos.  No biggy for me.

There's an old song that goes - - - 

 "If you can't be with the one you love - Love the one you're with"

brosi gonzales

Weekend # 6 - Part 2

UAAP Women's Volleyball Tournament

2nd Round

February 11, Saturday

Arena, San Juan

Lady Tams Keep their Championship Hopes Allive

Beat the Lady Warriors

25-14    25-18    29-27

Cristel Rosale has 4 winners for UE. It is, however,  Jimberly Dawn Dizon, with 11, who leads for UE.

 FYI, have to limit, at least,  this post, to these 2 JPEGs
[due to space limitation concerns by blogspot - which I don't understand].

Lady Tam Wenneth Eulalaio [#15] has her usual numbers [14 winners].

But it's rookie Toni Basas who rakes in 15 for FEU.

[Hmm -  Great facial structure and proportions, fair Asian complexion,

 nice smile, humble demeanor - - - take away the mole - 
add a smidge of sophistication - Why Not ??]

Sa madaling salita - maganda pala si Marie Toni Basas.

brosi gonzales

Five Minutes Apart

When Lightning Struck Twice in 2009

It's rare that two very, very similar sports sequences happen in front of me,

 [5 minutes apart, to add to that] as far as volleyball is concerned.  But that is exactly what happened to me way back May 5 of 2009.  Luckily, had my 35mm Nikkor manual focus  wide-lens attached to my D-60 and was quick enough to capture those moments [even w/ the shutter in single frame, mode]. 

  May 5, 2009 -5:48 p.m.

May 5, 2009 - 5:53 p.m.

These were taken during the Shakey's V-League Season 6 Volleyball Tournament [with the FEU Lady Tams playing against another team - which I can't remember].  The photos show Tamaraw libero Mary Ann Tagasas saving the ball.  [I'm not even sure I got her name right].

Remember the other definition of luck - when preparation meets opportunity. Well, one simply just has to be prepared all the time.  [Easier said than done]

Through the years, I've been able to hone my volleyball shooting skills -

but I still do make a lot of errors.  I've learned to appreciate the game more, 

and been a lot, lot better at shooting the said sport. Now, that I've invested on higher-end Canon DSLR cameras it's still difficult to get great volleyball action shots - but when I get them, they're even Greater.  And it  still helps to be "lucky", Right ??

Fast forward to the Shakey's V-league Season 8 - 

where I get another great save, [and photo],

 this time, of Fille Cainglet, Captain of the Ateneo Lady Eagles.

 April 10, 2011 - 5:36 p.m.

- Fille Goes Full Horizontal - 

[The pictures above and below are cropped images, taken w/ the same 
35mm Nikkor wide lens used in the 2 Tagasas photos -- 
The uncropped images are actually vertically oriented]

 Cainglet failed to complete the save, and a point was given to Lyceum.
Ateneo, though,  eventually won the Championship a month later.

I hear the Shakey's V-League Season 9 - commences this April 15.  

 Am Good To Go.

brosi gonzales

Behind The Scenes



A Small Subplot

Fear of the Inevitable From the Falcons

When I arrived at the Rizal Stadium to watch [and take photos of]  the Softball Championship between UP and Adamson last Februaru 11 [there is a previous feat w/ JPEGs of the match about 2-3 posts before this one] one of the first acqiuantances I bumped into was former UAAP Basketball Courtside Reporter ans former UP Softball player Rikki Flores.  In a brief conversation she admitted to me how tense she was for her former team mates, [kabang kaba siya talaga] as the match was about to start.  She was so restless and distracted [di mapakale] .  And Right of, I said to myself, I'll try to capture her extreme uneasiness in photos, maybe I'll get a different side of Erica [Rikki's real name]. 

Rikki kept on leaning on the shoulder of her female companion as if fearing the inevitable.  Soon enough, she was with her former team mates [at ground level] trying to give them moral support.  Fact is, as the game slowly progressed, the whole UP softball team had this collective "we-need-a-miracle-to-pull-this-one-off"  look.  Twasn't only Rikki, the whole team was so dead serious [beyond game face] it was a bit unsettling, if i may say so.  And Tough  -  Very, Very Tough. 

- A very ordinary photo -

Tried using my macro lens to somehow capture Rikki's mood , but fail.

This was taken at the stands, early on.

- My friend Lex Zuluega -

In the 3 frame sequence below, notice Rikki Flores [wearing Maroon] 

on the background, hiding her head behind her friend [in sun glasses] 

as a Lady Falcon is at bat.  It was like Rikki saying -

"I can't bear to look and see my former team,

 be torn to shreds by the Falcons"

- Pitcher Jen Ytaro -

The Lady Maroons knew the Lady Falcons would more then likely give them a softball clinic and tear them apart in the process.

 - Lady Maroon Sophie Silvestre - 

 Coach Kiko and his girls regroup - discuss how they might
try to bring down the Mighty Falcons.

- Tense. tense, tense -

 - Marion de Luna -
- Helplessly Hoping ??-

Notice how fretty and [lahat may kunot sa noo] worried the team was [couldn't blame them - I'd probably behave the same way if I were in their shoes] on the sidelines.  They tried to keep their spirits high, tried to play the game BEST they can, and just hoped for the best.

  An errant pass to Sophie Silvesrtre has her scampering -

the Maroon gallery scratching their heads, and the Falcon faithful cheering.

[5 frames below]

 Even as the end drew near the Maroons kept on fighting 

and cheering each other on.

But for all the heartache and disappointment the team experienced that Saturday, placing Solid 2nd was, undeniably a Huge Accomplishment - A  huge stepping stone reached and Finals experience  that can only make them more  solid, resilient and confident come Season 75.  The Lady Maroon Softball Team will be practically intact next season. - New [talent] blood, in the person of 
Toni Ondric,  from IS, can only strengthen them.  Can't Wait.

 Can she make a difference for UP next season ? -

Toni Ondric poses beside UP Coach Kiko Diaz.

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