CEBU, Philippines – Team Cebu City is headed to Palaro 2024 volleyball.

The city is set to represent Central Visayas in secondary girls volleyball for this year’s Palarong Pambansa, stunning Negros Oriental’s Tanjay City in straight sets, 25-14, 25-22, 25-9, in a championship match during the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association Meet (CVIRAA) on Thursday, May 9.

Winning third place is Cebu Province, which bested Mandaue City in a three-set match, 22-25, 25-23, 25-23. 

The Cebu City contingent is bannered by University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR), whose volleyball program contributed much to the team’s success, according to team coach Roldan Potot.

“We train every day,” he answered in Cebuano when asked how long they trained for the CVIRAA. “Once you become a part of the team, your training starts. From day one, to competition after competition, your training continues.”

Training and preparations had been consistent for the USJR team, resulting in top podium finishes in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) tournament and the Cebu City Olympics. 

“We’re also very thankful to our players for being dedicated to our volleyball program, for working on what needs to be improved,” Potot shared.

Eyes were on the goal for Most Valuable Player Rachel Ann Tecson, who helped solve any personal conflicts within the team.

“There were a lot of ups and downs in our team. So many conflicts happened. But we made sure that once we had any problems, we fixed them right away, so they didn’t affect our play and we didn’t lose sight of our goal,” the student-athlete said in Cebuano.

Tecson feels excited for her team’s upcoming Palarong Pambansa stint, but is also determined to improve themselves before the tournament.

The team needs to work on its defense and passes, said Potot. Meanwhile, he’s looking forward to competing with strong rosters from Mindanao, Metro Manila, and Western Visayas. 

Bacolod, the Western Visayas powerhouse that won the gold for the region in last year’s Palaro secondary girls volleyball, is the “team to beat,” the coach added.

Cebu City emerged as the overall champion in this year’s CVIRAA, garnering a total of 118 gold, 75 silver, and 80 bronze medals.

The Queen City of the South is hosting this year’s Palaro from July 6 to 17.  – Rappler.com