Foton has always been known as the team that brought Din-Din Santiago-Manabat and Jaja Santiago together. The last time they dominated the Grand Prix was during the 2016 season when the Santiago sisters joined forces with Ariel Usher, Lindsay Stalzer and Ivy Perez en route to securing back-to-back Grand Prix titles.
But now that the Santiago sisters have taken their talents to Japan as imports, the height that Foton had always been known for is now conspicuously absent and they have reinvented themselves as a quick, defense-oriented unit that still contends in the PSL.
The question is can the Tornadoes offset their opponents' size advantages during this edition of the Grand Prix which kicks off on Saturday, February 16th at the Ynares Sports Arena in pasig City. They will immediately be put to the test against a revamped United Volleyball Club (UVC-formerly Cocolife) in the initial offering.
The Foton Tornadoes roster:
Iumi YONGCO - L (DLS-D)
Gyzelle SY - S (FEU)
Carmina Aganon - OH/OP (NU)
Carla SANDOVAL - OH (UST)
Courtney FELINSKI - OH (Georgia Institute of Technology)
Gen Casugod - MB (FEU)
Ivy PEREZ - S (NU)
Maika ORTIZ - MB (UST)
Shaya ADORADOR - OH/OP (UE)
Jen REYES - L (NU)
Selime ILAYSOGLU - OH (Turkey)
Kath BARRINUEVO - OH (CSJL)
Elaine KASILAG - MB (UPHSD-Biñan)
CJ ROSARIO - MB (AU)
Head Coach: Aaron VELEZ
Perez thrives in the Grand Prix. She got so used to setting for the Santiago sisters even in their days at National University (NU) that having a pair of six-footers bodes well for the Tornadoes in their bid for supremacy in a conference where they have performed well in the past.
Management decided to bring in two wing spikers as opposed to fortifying their frontline with height, staying true to the philosophy that they have reinvented into a team that uses quickness to get the job done.
Felinski has been a journeywoman in the European circuit after her varsity life in Georgia ended. The Wichita native stormed the scene in Finland, winning several accolades and was the league's third-leading scorer to end the 2015 season for Liiga Polki. After two seasons in Helsinki, Felinski went to the German Bundesliga, Switzerland and most recently Las Palmas in the island paradise of Grand Canary. Felinski is saidto have unabashed power in her shots generated from a lean source that makes her quite deceptive against opposing blockers. She blends well with head coach Aaron Velez's philosophy of quickness on the court.
Ilyasoglu, for her part, is a veteran of the Turkish national team who is seeing her first action in Asia after a successful stint in the European circuit. Adept at both wing positions, Ilyasoglu, 30, brings her vast international experience to the forefront for a Foton squad that is looking to surprise and surpass all expectations.
The addition of Adorador (from Generika-Ayala) and the reemergence of Kasilag (last played for Cagayan Valley under coach Sammy Acaylar), give the Tornadoes an added youth punch as the duo is also deceptively quick and could provide a shot in the arm for veterans Ortiz, Reyes and Sy.
Velez has been tagged as the league's Zen Master for his soft spoken, laid-back approach to coaching. With so much talent, Foton could be in line at least another podium finish if they can figure out how to offset being vertically challenged. The onus will be on Ortiz, Rosario, Casugod and now Kasilag to assert their might at the net. But if Felinski and Ilyasoglu are as good as advertised, then perhaps this could another Usher-Stalzer duo in the making.
Foton is always a contender, but they may just have the right combination to get over that proverbial hump and it would not be too farfetched to have them crashing the party of F2 and Petron. The Tornadoes are primed for another serious title run.