THIS is my honest opinion. It’s F2 Logistics and not the defending champion Petron that is the team to beat in the Philippine Super Liga All-Filipino Conference.
The two met already and F2 Logistics beat Petron in a four-setter. It is not just how this game went that makes me think F2 should be the top favorite to win the title. It is my gut feel seeing how both teams have played their games this conference.
The addition of former PVL player Kalei Mau and the return of Kim Dy to an already very strong and cohesive lineup supports this feeling of mine and their perfect win-loss record speaks for itself. What more when ace setter Kim Fajardo returns from her injury.
I believe too that when it comes to a fighting heart, F2’s Aby Maraño is up there at the top. The way this lady plays, pushing herself and her team at all times, she truly impresses me.
But I will not count out Petron for sure. In fact, I would be the least surprised if these two teams renew their rivalry in the finals this conference. I saw how Petron came back from a 0-2 lead by Foton and take the next three sets to pull off the victory. Then in their match against Cignal, another seeded team, it was another impressive come-from-behind five-set victory, coming from an 11-14 deficit in the final set to win that nail-biter of a game.
I saw that game when I went to the Muntinlupa Sports Complex in Tunasan last Saturday afternoon. I wanted to see how Foton, the team that I did a team building for in Mt. Banahaw one week before the opening of the conference would perform after three straight losses and coming from an opening day victory against Sta. Lucia.
Though for me, the real loss was at the hands of F2 Logistics which simply overpowered Foton in four sets, but against Generika and Petron, those were games that I think Foton allowed their opponents to steal. Foton was ahead by one set and leading in the second set, 15-8, but allowed Generika to regroup, catch up, and win the second set, and it was all downhill for Foton after that.
In the game against Petron, they took the first two sets but again allowed Petron, with its championship experience and poise coming to the fore, to come back and win three straight sets.
Sports is not just a game of skills, it is a combination of skills and attitude. I have and will always maintain this stand, even giving attitude a bigger weight when athletes reach the elite level already as in the case of the PSL where the players in the league have the necessary skills to make it to the league. Of course some players will have the better skills but I believe it was their attitude that enabled these players to rise from being good players to better players.
And going back to the games that Foton lost, I maintain that any team that will score three to five straight points, even if not a particularly strong team, will start believing in themselves and with that belief, go on and beat stronger teams, unless complacency sets in, and what is complacency but another form of attitude?
The effect, on the other hand, on the opposing team, unless it has developed mental strength because of championship experience among others, is that as the confidence level of the regrouping team goes up, the opposite is the result on the other team. This I have seen in a lot of games not just in volleyball but in basketball.
This is actually what I shared with the Foton players, telling them how important it is to get back to winning so as to avoid a losing mind set and I was happy that the girls responded with a 4-1 victory over PLDT. And this Saturday, I hope to make it too in Malolos to watch their next game against Marinerang Pilipina. This one I can say with certainty that Foton will take its third win and even up its slate.
Sisters Jaja Santiago and Dindin Santiago-Manabat are showing what they can do playing together in top form, but then I would like to dwell more on this on a separate column with actual interviews with the two.
On the side, I just hope that again the current leadership problem in the Philippine Olympic Committee will not affect the preparation of our athletes for the forthcoming Southeast Asian Games. Women’s volleyball, I am sure, will be among the top attraction for fans during the SEAG.
And if I were to bet, I do not see any new POC election coming soon. Meaning the likes of Joey Romasanta may end up retaining their assumed positions.
Sorry but after what happened to karate, I really find it difficult to say that Romasanta is what the POC needs.
Heaven forbid. Enough said.