Brooke Van Sickle and Wilma Salas joined forces to power the Petro Gazz Angels past the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles in 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference held at PhilSports Arena on Thursday, July 18.The Angels moved past newcomer Thunderbelles securing a spot in the win column of Pool B with a 25-16, 25-21, 25-21 victory to open Day 2 of the tournament.Sickle, last conference’s MVP, took charge after tallying 22 points on 18 attacks, three aces, and a block to go along with 11 excellent digs and six receptions.“I am excited to be back. It is the beginning of the season. It is super exciting. It was a great game,” Van Sickled told reporters after the game.Petro Gazz import Wilma Salas backstopped the winning cause with 15 markers. Chie Saet also made the plays, registering 12 astounding sets.This conference, the Angels are honoring Janisa Johnson with an angel wing placed beside her No. 10 on their kits. Johnson, a late import who alongside Salas led the team to the 2019 championship, passed away on May 24 after battling colon cancer. She was 32.“I am sad because of Janisa’s passing. I am dedicating this conference to her, so every point, every decision we make as a team, we can think about Janisa,” said Salas.Meanwhile, Japanese import Asaka Tamaru stepped up for the Thunderbelles netting 17 markers, eight receptions, and five digs. Michelle Gamit and Jade Gentapa supported her with seven points apiece.Petro Gazz will face Capital1 on Tuesday, July 23, while ZUS Coffee aims for their first win against Cignal on the same day, both at the PhilSports Arena.

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) has decided to postpone the three games scheduled on July 26, 2024 at the Olivarez College Gymnasium in Parañaque as Metro Manila and nearby areas are still reeling from the ravage of Super Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon.In a post shared by the MPBL Communication thru their social media account, they said that the health and safety of the teams, working staff, and fans are of utmost importance to the league.The new date of the postponed games will be announced in due course.Toda Aksyon Party Lost was supposed to battle Bicolandia Dragon at 4 p.m. game, to be followed by South Cotabato Warriors versus Quezon Huskers in the 6 p.m. schedule while host Parañaque Patriots was scheduled in the main event at 8 p.m. against the Abra Weavers.The main game is supposed to feature the return of Mark Yee in Parañaque (who started the season with the Patriot), but now as a Weaver for the first time.

Philippine female gymnasts gave a good account of themselves during the qualification round of the women’s artistic gymnastics in the 2024 Paris Olympics held at the Bercy Arena.Levi Ruivivar, Emma Malabuyo, and Aleah Finnegan all had their moments; they all failed to advance to the next round by not entering the top eight of any of the events and falling short of making it to top 24 in the all-around.Jung-Ruivivar and Malabuyo both totaled 51.099 points in the all-around, while Finnegan tallied 50.498.Jung-Ruivivar, the youngest member of Team Philippines at 18 years old and who recently anaphylactic shock caused by her allergies just days before the competition, posted 13.600 in vault, 13.200 in uneven bars, 12.433 in floor exercise, and 11.866 in balance beam.On the other hand, Malabuyo netted 13.266 points in vault, 13.100 in floor exercise, 12.500 in uneven bars, and 12.233 in balance beam, while Finnegan averaged 13.387 in vault and scored 12.733 in floor exercise, 12.566 in uneven bars, and 11.466 in balance beam.Despite being eliminated early, the trio still showed gallant effort and made history for the country as the Philippines waited for 60 years for a female gymnast to see action in the Olympics once again. Maria Luisa Flora and Evelyn Magluyan represented the Philippine team in the 1964 Tokyo Games.With the three booted out of the competition already, the task of winning the Philippines’ first Olympic medal in gymnastics fell on the shoulders of Carlos Yulo, who advanced to the men’s all-around, floor exercise and vault finals.The debuting trio however are still optimistic to do better in their craft and look forward to another Olympic stint in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.

Alas Pilipinas captured a bronze medal finish after a strong showing against Indonesia to cap off the first leg Southeast Asian (SEA) V.League on Sunday, August 4, at the Vinh Phuc Hall in Vietnam.Alas won 25-23, 15-25, 25-23, 25-21, in 4 sets.The win prompted the Filipinas to their first tournament podium finish since back-to-back bronze finishes in its inaugural legs of the four-team meet in 2019, when it was still called the ASEAN Grand Prix. They also had endured winless campaigns in 2022 and 2023.National University standout Alyssa Solomon capped her national team comeback with a team-best 16 points on 14 kills, an attack, and an ace. Eya Laure and Sisi Rondina provided stability, contributing 13 markers apiece while Premier Volleyball League’s (PVL) top pick Thea Gagate chipped in 10 to aid the team. On the other hand, Arsela Nuari Purnama paced the Indonesian team, churning out 22 points from 19 attacks, two aces, and block, while Megawati Petiwi backed her up with 18 in the losing effort.Powerhouse Thailand and host Vietnam will dispute the gold medal, while Alas Pilipinas eyes another podium finish in the second leg of the tournament in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand from August 9 to 11. 

Gilas Pilipinas Women failed to build their underdog tale in the FIBA Women’s World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournament as Hungary roared its way to a 97-60 rout in Rwanda on Tuesday, August 20.The Filipinas were outscored by the world No. 16 in the second quarter, 28-10, to enter the half down, 51-24. Hungary later led by as many as 39 points to even its record to 1-1 while the Philippines fell to a 0-2 record.After an astounding 18-point, 21-rebound double-double performance against world No. 8 Brazil, top anchor Jack Animam was limited to six points, one rebound, and five turnovers in 23 minutes.Afril Bernardino instead took charge with 11 points, six rebounds, and four steals, while Ella Fajardo had 10. Kacey Dela Rosa added nine markers, five boards, and three rejections for Gilas Women.Meanwhile, Angela Torok paced the Hungary squad finishing a game-hig 25-point outing on a 10-of-11 clip, four assists, and three boards, while fellow wingers Debora Dubei and Reka Lelik scored 13 apiece.After a one-day break, Gilas Women will look to keep its slim hopes of advancing to the semifinals alive in their match against Senegal on Thursday, August 22.

In a battle of two teams with contrasting playstyles, TNT Tropang Giga prevailed against Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, 88-82 on Wednesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.TNT emerged victorious behind the near triple-double performance of import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who contributed 32 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists.Hollis-Jefferson's performance was highlighted by his three-pointer and a breakaway dunk from a steal in the homestretch of the game to help TNT bounce back from their sorry loss from their last game against Converge and regained the lead in Group A with a 3-1 record.Jayson Castro and Poy Erram joined RHJ in a 10-0 run that pushed the Tropang Giga to an 88-80 lead, after finding themselves trailing by two points going to the final four minutes of play.Using TNT’s signature threes to its advantage, Rondae knocked down one from beyond the arc to recapture the lead, 81-80, then stole Magnolia’s defensive identity when he closed the game with a winning fast break slam after deflecting the pass of Glenn Robinson III with 31.4 seconds remaining.

San Miguel took Game 1 of their best-of-five quarter finals series against Converge FiberXers, 102-95 on Thursday night, September 26, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.Beermen new import EJ Asonike, in lieu of the injured Jordan Adams, showed a decent debut performance by producing 28 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists.

The University of Santo Tomas blasted Mapua University for a back-to-back win in the 2024 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Collegiate Pre-Season Championship on Sunday, October 6, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. The Golden Tigresses swept the Lady Cardinals with a straight set 25-18, 25-17, 25-20 victory, securing them the second spot behind Pool B leader University of the East with a 3-0 record. “We enjoyed the game. We played the first set in a relaxing manner and we carefully played our game,” said Kyla Cordora who posted nine points on all kills.Xyza Gula contributed eight markers and Margaret Alta scored seven, while Jona Perdido and Regina Jurado supplemented six apiece. Bianca Plaza drove UST at match point, 24-17, before three continuous points from Mapua impeded the Tigresses’ victory. Cordora, however, prevented them any chance of a comeback, halting the Lady Cardinals’ late rally and delivering the final point.

Adamson University ended the first round of the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Basketball Tournament, securing a solo third place following a 63-51 win against University of the East on Sunday, October 6, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.The Lady Falcons delivered a stellar performance for their Season 87 campaign, closing out the first round with a 5-2 record. The last time they achieved this much success was when they finished third place after losing against De La Salle University back in Season 75 in 2012.“I’m very happy with how the first round went for us. It’s all about the effort of the players. On our part, we’ll just guide them,” said Lady Falcons head coach Ryan Monteclaro.The third quarter became a challenge for the Lady Falcons as they had to weather UE’s charges. The Lady Warriors kicked off the second half with a 16-6 run fueled with Ivy Yanez’s eight-point surge to cut the deficit to 47-37.However, Adamson was able to quickly regain their composure with nine unanswered points in the final period as their lead ballooned to 56-37 advantage eventually sealing the game to secure their fifth win of the season. Monteclaro fielded all of 16 of his players, with 13 of them getting on the scoresheet.Kim Limbago tallied 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting with three assists, two rebounds, and one steal for the Lady Falcons. Kim Adeshina supplemented seven markers, 11 boards, three blocks, one deflection, and one dime, while Angela Alaba contributed seven points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.Yanez led the Lady Warriors with 16 markers, six boards, three dimes, and one block, while Katherine Ruiz and Aliyah Ronquillo supplied 12 and 10 points, respectively, in the losing effort.

The debuts of Alas Pilipinas standouts Thea Gagate and Julia Coronel, as well as the return of Rachel Daquis and Jovelyn Gonzaga, as likely to add to the excitement surrounding the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference, which kicks off on Saturday, November 9, at the Philsports Arena.After being selected first by ZUS Coffee in the league’s historic rookie draft earlier this year, Gagate will finally be able to play as a professional, while Coronel, the third overall pick, will also make her professional debut with Galeries Tower. Due to their national team obligations, Gagate and Coronel missed the league’s first two conferences this season.

The San Miguel Beermen climbed-up from a 16-point deficit to defeat the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 107-104, on Tuesday, December 3, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.Marcio Lassiter rifled his 15th point in the game when he was found by Juami Tiongson in the open corner after a solid pick given by import Quincy Miller to give San Miguel a 105-104 lead.Phoenix then still had a chance to get a knack at the basket with 2.3 seconds remaining but they threw the ball away forcing them to foul Beermen's Simon Enciso who sank both of his free throws.Fuel Masters import Donovan Smith still had a chance to force the game to overtime when he made an attempt at the backcourt with 0.7 left in the game but his shot only hit the board.

The Rice Vanguards seem very determined to bring back the championship in Nueva Ecija after failing to do so in the past two seasons.In their latest move, NERV signed the Marcelino twins who incidentally were part of the Zamboanga Master Sardines that they beat in the 2022 MBPL finals.On their Facebook page, the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards welcomed former MVP Jaycee Marcelino and his twin brother, Jayvee, to their turf.The team expects the relentless twins to bring their explosiveness, dynamics, and domination to Nueva Ecija.

De La Salle University asserted its dominance in UAAP Season 87 volleyball, securing victories in both the men’s and women’s divisions against archrival Ateneo de Manila University on Wednesday, March 12, at the SM Mall of Asia.In the women’s match, Shevana Laput delivered a career-high performance, scoring 25 points to lead the Lady Spikers to a 25-15, 25-14, 20-25, 25-19 victory.With 19 attacks, three blocks, and three aces, Laput spearheaded La Salle’s third consecutive win, improving their record to 4-2. Angel Canino contributed 17 markers, while rookie setter Mikole Reyes recorded 20 excellent sets.Despite Ateneo taking the third set and an early 8-4 lead in the fourth, La Salle regained control behind Laput’s explosive plays, sealing the win after two hours and 14 minutes. The victory marked the Lady Spikers’ 15th straight win over Ateneo since the Season 79 Finals in 2017.

National University (NU) reaffirmed its dominance in both men’s and women’s volleyball, securing crucial victories over the University of Santo Tomas (UST) to close the first round of the UAAP Season 87 tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, March 16.

Defending champion National University (NU) displayed its trademark dominance once again, defeating Adamson University, 69–51, for its second consecutive victory in the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.Coming off a commanding 95–58 rout of the UP Fighting Maroons last weekend, the Lady Bulldogs carried that same momentum into this matchup, seizing control early and never looking back.The duo of Karl Ann Pingol and Tin Cayabyab set the tone for NU’s offensive rhythm, combining for efficient scoring that helped the team establish a 43–23 halftime advantage. The Lady Falcons, despite showing spurts of fight, struggled to recover from the early onslaught. 

Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala pulled off a double title campaign at the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain on Sunday, July 21, capturing the women’s singles title less than 24 hours after claiming the women’s doubles championship.The 19-year-old displayed her prowess as she earned her fifth International tennis Federation (ITF) singles crown after walloping Andorran standout Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva in the Women’s Finals of the tourney, 6-4, 6-4.Eala advanced to the singles championship round after defeating Yulia Starodubtsewa in the quarterfinals, 7-6, 6-4, and Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez in the semifinal, 6-2, 6-1.A day before the singles championship, Eala bagged the doubles title with France partner Estelle Cascino as they outdueled the Bulgarian-Latvian duo of Lia Karatancheva and Diana Marcinkevica, 6-3, 2-6, 10-4, late Saturday night, July 20.“This win means the world to me, it even made me ugly cry. I am so proud because this represents the culmination of so much hard work,” Eala wrote in an Instagram post.“Securing my biggest titles yet in both singles and doubles is a fairytale finish, and I am overwhelmed with emotion. This will always have a special place in my heart, and I leave here with a pocket full of great memories and the will to work harder.”This week marked the best week of Eala’s pro career as she achieved the rare feat of winning both the singles and doubles titles.The world No. 155 seized her first $100,000 tournament in the process. 

The Women’s Grandmaster title journey continues for chess prodigy Ruelle Canino after setting herself on board for a European trip as part of her preparations for the World Chess Olympiad in September.The 16-year-old reigning champion of the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championships will be tested as she is expected to battle top woodpushers to boost her bid for Woman Grandmaster status.The Far Eastern University standout will jumpstart her European campaign in the HZ University of Applied Sciences Chess Tournament slated August 3-10 in Vlissingen, the Netherlands.She will then go to Germany for the Dortmund Open scheduled on August 10 to 18, followed by the Open Internacional d’escacs Sants-Ciutat de Barcelona on August 23 until September 1.It will also serve as part of her preparation for the Asian Indoor and Martial Games booked this November in Thailand and the FIDE World Chess Olympiad set on September 10 to 23 in Budapest, Hungry.In Vlissingen, Canino will join fellow national team mainstays Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna and Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda, who left the country recently for a tournament in Switzerland.The trip is funded by the Philippine Sports Commission and backed by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and Philippine Olympic Committee.The Philippine contingent will return to the country on September 3 then set to leave after a few days with the male woodpushers, coached by Grandmaster Eugene Torre, before they fly to Budapest where they will battle the world’s best. 

LeBron James was selected by his Team USA peers across all sports to be their 2024 flag bearer for the 2024 Paris Olympics.James became the first men’s player selected as a flag bearer following women’s basketball stars Dawn Staley in 2024 Athens Games and Sue Bird for the Tokyo Games in 2021.The four-time NBA champion and all-time NBA leading scorer who will make his fourth appearance in the Summer games will lead a boat of American athletes down the Seine River where the Olympic Opening Ceremony will be held.

The Samahan ng Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al Panlilio might be disappointed that Gilas Pilipinas men’s basketball team failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics but still optimistic that they can work on to reach the ultimate goal of making it to the Los Angeles Games in 2028.Earlier this year, Gilas head coach Tim Cone said that “The ultimate goal for the SBP is to make it to the LA Olympics, I think that’s the ultimate goal. That’s what they are looking for,”They have tried to reach the Olympic goal this year in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) held in Latvia. They upset the host team and FIBA’s No. 6 ranked team during their match-up in the group stage.Gilas was defeated by the No. 23 ranked Georgia narrowly in their next assignment ending in a three-way tie at their group but superior quotient points gave Latvia and the Philippines the advantage of moving to the next round. In the crossover Semis, the No. 37 ranked Philippines bowed down to No. 12 ranked Brazil who overcame a double-digit lead in the first half. Brazil eventually won the OQT in Latvia after defeating the host team in the finals.Panlilio might be disappointed that the nation’s pride team didn’t make it to Paris but he has seen a glimpse of hope for the team’s future endeavors especially in targeting the ultimate goal of making it to the LA Olympics. 

In what appeared to be a continuation of a sad story overall for the Filipino judoka, Kiyomi Watanabe’s Olympic dream ended early as she fell quickly out of medal contention in the 2024 Paris Games.She ended her Olympics bid in a 51-second Ippon loss against China’s Jing Tang in the women’s judo -63kg Round of 32 at the Champ-de-Mar Arena in Paris, France Tuesday afternoon (Manila time).This is the second straight early exit for Watanabe, following a similar ippon loss against Spanish judoka Cristina Cabana Perez in just 38 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021.Watanabe is the third Filipino and first woman judo athlete to compete in multiple Summer Olympic Games, the last being John Baylon and Jerry Dino in the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.Watanabe is a regional champion, having won in the Southeast Asian Games in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019.