Tubino faces ex-Cignal teammates

Games Today (Bacoor Sports Center) 4:15 p.m. – Sta. Lucia vs Generika-Ayala 7 p.m. – Cocolife vs Cignal

Allies turn into rivals tonight as spiker Honey Royse Tubino leads Cocolife’s bid against her former team Cignal in the 2018 Chooks to Go-Philippine Superliga (PSL) Grand Prix at the Bacoor Sports Center.

After teaming up with Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachel Anne Daquis in powering the HD Spikers to the Invitational Conference title last year, Tubino packed her bags to join familiar faces at the Asset Managers’ camp.

Assistant Coach Kungfu Reyes and former Philippine Army teammates Nerissa Bautista, Jane Gonzales, Mary Jean Balse-Pabayo and the returning Tina Salak have welcomed Tubino with open arms, giving Cocolife some serious firepower.

But new mentor, Serbian Moro Branislav, is tempering the expectations for an Asset Managers side bolstered by American Taylor Milton and Serbian Sara Klisura, the league record-holder in scoring after erupting for 41 points for Foton in the Grand Prix last year.

“All teams have also upgraded their respective rosters so it’s going to be very tough for us,” he said. “We just have to prepare hard and be ready. This Grand Prix, for my opinion, will never be easy. This is going to be a war.”

Squaring off in the opener at 4:15 p.m. are Sta. Lucia Realty and Generika-Ayala, both eager to bounce back from opening day losses in the tourney bankrolled by Isuzu, Rebisco and UCPB Gen with ESPN5 as official broadcast partner.