By ADRIAN STEWART CO

The Negros ICC Blue Hawks fell short in their opening-day assignment, bowing to expansion squad Pasay City Lady Voyagers, 25-23, 13-25, 25-17, 23-25, 15-8, in the 2025 Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA) Season at the Dasmariñas City Arena.

The Blue Hawks, who are out to improve from a seventh-place finish last season, showed flashes of their offensive depth behind Andrea Caparal’s 17 points along with double-digit outings from Angeliz Cosme (13) and Gelah Lopez (12).

But costly errors in the fifth set allowed the debuting Lady Voyagers to escape with the victory.

Pasay leaned on the steady play of Iari Quimson and Florize Anne Papa, who tallied 13 points each.

Euricka Eslapor added 12 markers.

Angel Mae Antipuesto, Jozza Mae Cabalsa and Aiko Urdas combined for 25 points to complete the balanced scoring effort.

In the other match, host Dasmariñas City Monarchs stunned defending champion Quezon Tangerines in straight sets, 25-22, 25-23, 25-23.

Negrense Celine Marsh finished with 16 points, while Vange Alinsug added 11 for the National University-backed squad under new coach Regine Diego.

Quezon, which posted a near-perfect 17-2 record en route to the crown last year, relied on 17 points from Zam Nolasco but could not overcome the Monarchs’ late-set composure./ASC, WDJ