Valdez, Lazaro reunite in V-L Season 13

Alyssa Valdez will reunite with former Ateneo teammates Denden Lazaro and Gretchen Ho as they banner an Ateneo selection squad vying in the season-opening tournament of the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Open Conference on May 28 at The Arena in San Juan.

A source told The STAR yesterday that Valdez, Lazaro and Ho will play for a squad under playing coach Charo Soriano, also an Ateneo alumna.

Ho, who had shifted to beach volley for a while and worked as television anchor with ABS-CBN, also confirmed her comeback in the country’s premier volley league.

“Still discussing with sponsor but they will play with a team composed of former Ateneo players,” said the source.

Valdez and Lazaro played together during the Lady Eagles’ reign as back-to-back UAAP champions in 2014 and 2015 while Ho was member of the team in 2013.

After her UAAP stint, Lazaro went on a hiatus to concentrate on her studies as a medical school student at Ateneo and even gave up the chance to play for Foton in the Superliga, which drafted her last year.

But the ace libero has decided to make a comeback and re-unite with her college buddies.

Valdez, meanwhile, finally lands a team after negotiations to anchor Pocari Sweat, formerly Philips Gold, bogged down.

Interestingly, Pocari Sweat has tapped Thai Tai Bundit, Valdez’s mentor at Ateneo, as coach.

With Valdez, a two-time V-League MVP and three-time UAAP MVP, Lazaro and Ho, the Ateneo selection team is expected to be one of the favorites in the upcoming tournament, which will hold a by-invitation only, no-game opening ceremony on May 22.

A total of eight teams are seeing action in the opening conference, including National U, University of the Philippines, KIA and Iriga City.