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Bernadeth Pons, Jia De Guzman rekindle court connection
Returning to indoor play from the beach—and rejoining a team she hadn’t played with in months—comes with its own challenges. For Bernadeth Pons, the key has been rebuilding her connection with her teammates.
That process hasn’t been easy, especially since Pons and Jia De Guzman had limited time together during their earlier stint with the team.
At the time, Pons was still coming off the bench while De Guzman was already running the offense for the Cool Smashers. By the time Pons earned a spot in the starting unit, the eight-time PVL Best Setter had already moved on to play in the Japan S.V. League.
Now that both are back, Pons said they are gradually rebuilding their connection after having limited time together in the past.
“Every day naman andun pa rin ‘yung adjustment kasi gaya nga ng sabi ni Jia, ang daming bumalik sa amin,” said the former league MVP.
“Siya rin, kakabalik niya lang din, ako din. Nung last kasi na nag-abot kami, sobrang igsi lang nun eh. Ngayon pa lang ‘yung time ulit na ibi-build namin ‘yung connection na setter to spiker. So ‘yun, everyday pa rin talaga andun ‘yung adjustment. So everyday namin ‘yun tinatrabaho.”
(C) PVL Images
Their efforts were evident as the pair made strides in their chemistry following Creamline’s opening loss to PLDT, leading to a strong bounce-back win over Choco Mucho on Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Pons finished with a triple-double of 19 points, 18 excellent receptions, and 13 digs, while De Guzman dished out 20 excellent sets, including three kill blocks, in nearly two hours of play.
“Ayun nga, sa training pa lang sinasabihan na kami ni Ate Ly na importante talaga ‘yung communication. So dapat lahat kami nagsasalita, lahat kami manghihingi ng bola para madali rin sa setter. Kapag lahat kami humihingi, maaano rin ‘yung kalaban,” said the Southeast Asian Games gold medalist.
“Araw-araw tinatrabaho pa namin kasi sabi nga ni Jia, sa game namin sa PLDT pinakita talaga sa amin kung ano pa ‘yung kulang namin individually and as a team. So ayun, tinatrabaho namin everyday, especially ‘yung connection and communication namin.”
De Guzman, for her part, emphasized the team’s talent but stressed the importance of putting it together on the court.
“I think individually, we are very skilled. It’s just how do we put that together na maging cohesive siya na pagdating sa court, alam namin kung ano ‘yung ikikilos ng bawat isa.”
The post Bernadeth Pons, Jia De Guzman rekindle court connection appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
Two weeks after inaugurating its basketball courts, Mighty Sports Center will officially open its volleyball courts at AcroCity in Guiguinto, Bulacan, on Saturday, October 10, in what promises to be another festive affair.
Rising star Jolina Dela Cruz and veterans Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachell Anne Daquiz, along with the rest of the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, will join the celebration dubbed “SET.SPIKE.PLAY.”
AcroCity and Czark Mak chairman Caesar Wongchuking, a longtime sports patron, said that aside from the exhibition match between ZUS Coffee and the Makata Selection of Bulacan at 4 p.m., the event will also feature a meet-and-greet session where fans can interact with their PVL idols.
“Just like the inauguration of the basketball courts, fans can interact with these professional volleyball players,” said Wongchuking. “It’s our own little way to giving back to communities.”
Wongchuking added that proceeds from the event will go to Tahanang Mapagpala of Immaculada Concepcion Foundation, Inc. He also thanked ZUS Coffee owner Frank Lao for allowing his players to take part in the celebration.
Also expected to grace the event are Bulacan Vice Governor Alex Castro and Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad.
The volleyball courts are part of the Mighty Sports Center at AcroCity, a development envisioned as a “Live, Work, Play” destination in Guiguinto.
Aside from its basketball and volleyball courts and modern fitness center, AcroCity is also home to Acro Residences Hotel, restaurants such as Cafe de Margaux and Mt. Fuji, and event venues including Ang Hardin and NDW Plaza, which is named after the Wongchuking family matriarch, Nelia D. Wongchuking.
The post ZUS Coffee to grace Mighty Sports Center volleyball court launch appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria will begin their qualifying campaign for the U17 AFCON against Cote d’Ivoire next week Wednesday.
The match schedule is out!
Ouagadougou will host the WAFU B U-17 AFCON Qualifying Tournament Burkina Faso 2026 from 10 to 23 October 2026.
West Africa’s best U-17 teams will battle for qualification to the U-17 AFCON.
Check out the official match schedule!
#WAFUB #U17AFCON #BurkinaFaso2026 #RoadToAFCON #YouthFootball #AfricanFootball
#UFOAB #WAFUB #U17AFCON #BurkinaFaso2026 #RoadToAFCON #YouthFootball
— CAF ZONE OUEST B (@CafZoneOuestB) October 7, 2026
Their other Group B match will be against Niger three days later.
The WAFU B U17 AFCON qualifying tournament will kick off Saturday, when hosts Burkina Faso take on Benin and Ghana square up against Togo.
Burkina Faso head Group A, whose overall winners will face runners-up in Group B for a place in the championship game.
The post Golden Eaglets begin U17 AFCON qualifiers vs Cote d’Ivoire first appeared on Score Nigeria.
Alex Eala and Shaira Rivera hurdled their first test as a doubles pair, defeating Hong Kong’s Kallista Liu and Lai Ching Laam, 6-1, 6-3, in the opening round of the women’s doubles tournament at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Tuesday.
With the outdoor courts washed out by continuous rain, Eala and Rivera had their original schedule pushed back to the evening. The long delay, however, did little to disrupt their rhythm as they quickly took control of the match.
Eala, ranked No. 127 in the world in doubles, and Rivera, a standout at NCAA Division II school University of West Alabama, needed little time to jell as a pair.
(C) POC Media
After their opponents held serve in the opening game, the Filipinas rattled off six straight games to take the first set in just 33 minutes.
The second set lasted a bit longer, but Eala and Rivera remained in control for most of the way to seal the victory at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.
The road ahead, however, will be considerably tougher in the second round. Eala and Rivera will face doubles specialists and third seeds Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan of China.
The 27-year-old Jiang is ranked No. 22 in the world in doubles and recently reached the Wimbledon semifinals. Then Yang, 31, has a career-high doubles ranking of No. 9 and has also reached the semifinals of the French Open.
Both Filipinas are also into the next round in their other competitions — Rivera with partner Francis Alcantara in mixed doubles, and Eala in the women’s singles.
The post Alex Eala, Shaira Rivera roll into Asian Games doubles second round appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
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