VOLLEYBALL, like any other sports, gives hope to some who are dreaming big dreams.
For these girls from Notre Dame of Dadiangas University (NDDU) from General Santos City, it gives them momentary sanctuary from the devastation caused by a super earthquake that hit Southern Mindanao three months ago.
“We’ve been hit by the biggest earthquake in General Santos and our school buildings were heavily damaged,” said NDDU coach Alvin Francis Ambe, whose squad will see action in the Rebisco Volleyball League (RVL) Division I National Finals set Sept. 14-18 at Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong.
“That’s why we’re thankful to the RVL for giving us hope and relief as our city try to get back to our ordinary lives,” he added.
Of course, the Kingfishers will be one of the 16 seeing action in the five-day tournament consisting of some of the country’s top 18-and-under players.
NDDU was bracketed in Group D alongside University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu, California Academy of Indang, Cavite, and University of Santo Tomas.
The others are defending champion National U-Nazareth, Sto. Niño High School in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, Holy Rosary College in Sta. Rosa and Perpetual Help from Group A, Bacolod Taytung, Naga College Foundation, University of Batangas and La Salle-Zobel from Group B, and La Salle Lipa, King’s Montessori in Quezon City, St. John’s Bacolod and Far Eastern U-Diliman.
Only one per bracket will advance to the semis.
But whether NDDU can snare it or not, the Kingfishers know just by being on the big stage and playing against the best the country could offer are enough to sooth the pain and ease the trauma that the tragedy brought to their city.
And no less than Ysay Marasigan, a Criss Cross stalwart from the Spikers’ Turf who is also the RVL’s Operations and Administrations OIC, encapsulates what the RVL has been standing for since its inception in 2017. — Joey Villar