LIKE most female athletes Janine Marciano thought that she could get a free college education through a sports scholarship as a varsity volleyball player.
Because of the strides made in local women’s volleyball Marciano is happy to find that her life’s a beach.
She did get a college education when she and Frances Molina led San Beda College to their best years in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. But she hasn’t yet gone on to a career as a regular employee. Marciano is happy instead to find a career as a volleyball player.
After her stint at San Beda College she graduated to the Premier Volleyball League (then Shakey’s V-League) with Cagayan Valley then PLDT Home Ultera then Bali Pure before finding a home in the Philippine Super Liga with Cignal HD.
Marciano finds herself playing in the sands of SM By the Bay in the Mall of Asia representing Cignal HD B in the 2017 Belo PSL Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup.
Cignal HD B carved out a three-set, 25-10, 24-26, 15-10 victory over F2 Logistics B last Thursday to stay in the hunt for a berth in the playoffs. Marciano teamed up with Mylene Paat to beat Aby Marano and Cha Cruz of the Cargo Movers.
“Nung third set, nag-usap na talaga kami. Iniisip namin na simula ulit kami kaya sinubukan talaga namin na i-lessen ang mga errors naming. Hindi naman sa nag-relax kami nung second set, pero lumaban talaga ang F2 (Logistics) nung first set. Gusto din talaga nilang makabawi. Mabuti na lang at gumanda ang inilaro namin nung third set at nakuha namin ang panalo,” said Marciano.
The HD Spikers bounced back from a loss to the tandem of Fiola Ceballos and Patty Orendain of Generika-Ayala A in the opening day late Thursday.
“Natuto na kami sa yesterday’s game na pagkatalo namin. So nag-stick na lang kami sa game plan namin at itinama lahat ng mga naging pagkakamali namin nung first game namin,” said Marciano.
The power spiking duo of Marciano and Paat were brought back down to earth by the quick-stepping pair of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons of Petron Sprint 4T in the quarterfinals yesterday, May 6.
Quickness and guile proved superior to height and dominance at the net as Marciano and Paat lost in two sets 11-21, 9-21. Rondina and Pons have been steamrolling the opposition and have not lost a single set in their march to the semifinals.
Still, Marciano is happy to discover that her life’s a beach.