TRAVELLING all the way from Gingoog for three hours early last Wednesday morning had paid handsomely for the spirited wards of Gingoog City Mayor Erick Cañosa.
This, after the Hanna Shayne Pansacala-fronted Gingoog volleybelles overcame the Joan Polinar-led Provincial Capitol in a 2-0 semifinal win, 25-14, 26-24 over at the Southern Philippine College covered courts in Cagayan de Oro.
The win not only propels them to the volleyball finals against the unbeaten CDO Gold but most importantly, helps the local government of Gingoog to virtually secure the P100,000-worth overall championship trophy of the long-running 1st Paglaum MisOr Rise-CDO Cup.
"After sa mga previous games in chess, badminton, lawn tennis, table tennis ug sa laro ng lahi, nakalabaw lang og one point ang Gingoog sa Provincial Capitol at 18-17. Now, with both Gingoog's men and women's teams making it to the semifinals nadungagan ilang labaw sa overall lead. Samot na gyod nga mi-abante ilang babae sa final after defeating our team," Capitol team sports consultant Zozimo Vicente Tan-gan told Gold Star Daily.
Saving the best for last, the Provincial Capitol Hotties salvaged a thrilling third-set win over the equally-strong Alubijid in the battle for third place over at the Southern Philippine College covered courts in Cagayan de Oro.
Cagayan de Oro's other team, the third-seed CDO Green, earlier yielded to the fourth-seed Alubijid in the quarterfinals, 35-27, 23-25 held at the sun-baked open courts of the Provincial Capitol.
"We're not getting any younger and already in medication to stand the heat. This was just our first time playing in open courts under the blistering heat of the sun. Anyway, congrats to Alubijid," said one of the veteran CDO Green spikers.
