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It is just like a perfectly-written script in a local telenovela. On one side, you have La Salle: The defending three-time champions. The heavy favorites. Undefeated for two seasons and riding high on a 30-game winning streak after losing to UST  dating back to December 2012. On the other side is an extremely depleted Ateneo squad with Alyssa Valdez the only remnant of the Lady Eagles' two runner-up finishes against their Taft-based rivals. But on March 15, 2014, the improbable happened. As if the stars and planets aligned for Ateneo to finally put an end to La Salle's reign on the UAAP women's volleyball throne.

Pause and reflect... In the end, when our time comes to face the Lord, He will not ask us how many times we prayed each day. If we recited the entire rosary's 20 mysteries? How many hours were we spent kneeling at the altar? If we memorized the bible from cover to cover? How much do we contribute at church? Or even if we made various offerings in His name. The question we must expect from God when we stand in front of Him is how we treat our fellowmen. Did we spread lies, makeup stories, malign and falsely accuse other people? Did we fool others to advance our own personal motives? Or did we cover up the truth to protect a family member?

Angelo Que (right) is in a good position to end his Asian Tour title drought while Miguel Tabuena shoots for a maiden win. ROY DOMINGO Only one round separates Angelo Que from ending a four-year title drought in the Asian Tour. Que missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th but an almost flawless front nine allowed him to hold a one-shot lead over compatriot Miguel Tabuena after three rounds in the $300,000 Solaire Open on Saturday at The Country Club in Canlubang, Laguna. The 35-year-old, who was tied with Tabuena on top after Friday’s second round, settled for a two-under 69 for a 9-under 204 aggregate and hold a one-stroke lead over his 19-year-old rival, who submitted a 70 for a 205. “Hopefully I can finish this off in the final round. It is going to be a challenging round. It has been windy for the whole week but I’ve been playing solid. I want to keep my game up and finally close the deal after four years!” said Que. “We’ve played together (wit...

Participants of the 2nd Solaire Open can get a chance to play in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics in Brazi l. JON PEREZ World ranking points are also at stake in the second edition of the 2014 Solaire Open, which will be the basis of qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The Solaire Open began on Thursday at The Country Club in Barangay Canlubang in Calamba City, Laguna with Lin Wen-tang of Chinese Taipei defending his title against 154 other pros in the Asian Tour-backed tournament. The Solaire Open is the first tournament in the local Philippine Golf Tour and the third event on the Asian Tour. Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han said only the world’s top 60 players in the men’s and women’s divisions will earn qualifying berths in the 2016 Olympics. The Asian Tour is an International Federation of Professional Golf Tours member along with the Japan Golf Tour Organization, the Professional Golfers Association of South Afric...

It will be Group I or bust for the Philippine Davis Cup team when it plays in the second round of its Group II tie in the Asia Oceania zone in April this year. The Philippines previously played in Group I for two years, from 2010 to 2011, after being promoted in 2009 following a 4-1 win over New Zealand in the Asia Oceania Group II final. The Pinoy Davis Cuppers stayed in Group I after posting a 3-2 win over South Korea in 2010 but were relegated to Group II in 2011 after a 3-2 loss to Chinese Taipei in the relegation playoff. The Philippines moved to the second round of the Asia Oceania Group II tie after a 3-1 win over Sri Lanka early this month. They will play either Pakistan or Vietnam in the next tie where the country has the chance to host the matches set from April 4 to 6. And Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) Chairman Jean Henri Lhuillier is optimistic about the possibility of the team returning to Group I this year. “We’re all excited this year. There...

Wikipedia Lone Filipino bet Michael Christian Martinez is using the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics to gain more experience in the hopes of earning a podium finish when PyeongChang, South Korea hosts the next edition of the quadrennial Games. Martinez qualified for the Sochi Games after placing seventh in the senior division of the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany. He is the first Filipino figure skater to compete in the men’s singles, which start on Sunday. “There’s little pressure since my goal is to reach the top 24 and reach the qualifying round. It will be a big accomplishment for me if I made it to the final round,” said Martinez. The 17-year-old Paranaque-based skater admitted that he still lacks the experience that would earn him a possible bronze medal in the Winter Games. “I’m not expecting to win a medal in this Olympics and I’m aiming for a medal in 2018 since my years of training are shorter compared to the other skaters. I think my Boston t...

Cebuana Lhuillier President Jean Henri Lhuillier (center) said his company  will continue supporting women's softball.  Winning the bronze medal will be the realistic goal of the Philippine national women’s softball team when it competes in the 2014 Asian Games set from September 19 to October 4 in Incheon, South Korea. The Blu Girls’ fourth-place finish in last year’s 14th Asian Women’s Softball Championships had Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (Asaphil) President Jean Henri Lhuillier optimistic that the feat is possible. “Finishing fourth in the Asian championships is already a big accomplishment for the team because we have tough competition here in Asia. You’ve got Japan, China, and Chinese Taipei. And they are very strong teams,” said Lhuillier. “Hopefully we can dislodge one of those teams in the Asian Games to clinch bronze. The realistic goal is a bronze medal. And that is something that we are really aiming for.” Two Filipino-A...