Lady Falcons to boast of all-female coaching staff
WOMEN power will be in full display for the Adamson University women’s volleyball team when it starts competing in Season 79 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) in February as it opted for an all-female coaching staff to lead its charge.
In ceremonies held at the school’s premises last week, the Lady Falcons, together with their sponsor Akari Lighting and Technology Corp., introduced the women coaches who will steer the team in the new UAAP season.
Presented were American coach Airess Padda as head coach with Cherry Macatangay, Michele Gumabao and Angeli Tabaquero as assistants.
The group will try to pick up the pieces and regroup the team following a difficult season last year that saw erstwhile coach Sherwin Meneses resign midway into the tournament and culminating with the Lady Falcons finishing with a 3-11 record, good for seventh spot in the eight-team field.
With Coach Airess, a highly successful athlete-turned-coach in the United States and founder and director of Malibu Palms Volleyball Club, in tow, the San Marcelino- based Lady Falcons hope to change their fortunes.
Also tasked to infuse a winning mind-set into the team is the trio of Misses Macatangay, Gumabao and Tabaquero, who were all UAAP stars during their playing days.
Adamson product Macatangay was a three- time Best Scorer and a Most Valuable Player ( MVP) titlist for the Shakey’s V- League Conference. She was also a member of the national team where she took home a Silver Medal at the 1995 SEA Games.
Ms. Gumabao, for her part, led the De La Salle Lady Spikers to a three- peat in the UAAP and was one of the best defensive players in the league. She bagged two Best Blocker trophies and a Finals MVP award in UAAP Season 75 and, most recently, took home Finals MVP honors in the Shakey’s VLeague Reinforced Conference.
Incidentally, both Misses. Macatangay and Gumabao were part of Mr. Meneses’ staff in Season 78.
Meanwhile, Ms. Tabaquero was a UAAP champion while with the University of Santo Tomas and a Shakey’s V-League champ as well. She was named team captain of the Philippine National Team in the 2013 Asian Championship. Ms. Tabaquero is currently the head coach of the high school volleyball team of Saint Pedro Poveda College.
While it has yet to win the UAAP women’s volleyball title, Adamson has produced successful athletes in professional sports. Its women’s volleyball team also has produced several UAAP Final Four finishes and Shakey’s V-League championship titles.
Starting fresh for Season 79, Fr. Aldrin Suan, CM, director of the Office for Athletics and Recreation of Adamson, is optimistic that the team, with a new head coach, would make things happen en route to a better performance and finish this time around.