by rick olivares
Almost
throughout the entire press conference to precede the opening of the Reinforced
Conference of the Shakey’s V-League, all eyes, all questions were on Pocari
Sweat, BaliPure, and even newly formed Bureau of Customs. Maybe if the
University of the Philippines Lady Maroons were present (only team managers and
some officials made it), they would have also been the beneficiary of the same.
Even
new squad Philippine Coast Guard with their head coach Gilbert Odron jokingly
saying as his team is the one to beat in the import-flavored conference got
lots of attention.
Sitting
quiet and unobtrusive were the girls, no, Airwomen First Class, of Philippine
Air Force.
Joy
Cases, the former star of Lyceum of the Philippines University, that bagged a
bunch of WNCAA volleyball championships, doesn’t mind it one bit. “Ganun
talaga,” she succinctly put with all the wisdom of a veteran. “Meron glamorosa,
meron hindi.”
Cases
is a freak of nature…. Not in the LeBron James mold of a towering physical
specimen. She stands a mere five-feet-seven inches and is rail thin. She hardly
looks the aerodynamic part. But man… she can sky and whack that volleyball like
nobody’s business.
Success
in the semi-pro volleyball ranks has been harder to find than during her
collegiate days. Yet even then, she was playing for a small school that hardly
merited any newspaper ink or online chatter. So you can say that she is used to
it.
Or
maybe not really.
“Motivation
yan para sa akin,” she admits. “At sa team namin. Yung conference na may import
ang pinaka-inaabangan na liga. Maliban sa televised, ang tingin namin ay chance
muli itong para makilila ang Philippine Air Force team hindi lang sa Air Force
community kasama na rin yung mga volleyball fans at sa lahat ng Pilipino.”
They
nearly accomplished the impossible when they spotted Pocari Sweat a one-game
lead after taking down the Lady Warriors during Game One of the Open Conference
that ushered in this 13th season of the longest running semi-pro
volleyball league in the country.
“Nakuha
namin yung unang game pero ganun talaga hindi para sa amin,” she admitted. “Pero
another chance ‘to para ilabas ang best namin. Sobrang motivation itong
conference na ‘to kasi may mga import yung ibang team. Kami wala naman
resources para mag-recruit. At bawal din kasi dapat naka-enlist. Chance to para
i-test yung skills namin sa mga imports.”
Speaking
of enlisting, Cases just signed a new three-year contract to serve in the
nation’s military. When the Jet Spikers, as the PAF team is nicknamed isn’t
playing, they have their military duties. During a tournament, to borrow their
term, they are “detached” from their duties to concentrate on the sport.
Through
sports, PAF and its brother and sister teams in other sports such as football,
boxing, and track and field to name a few, use it a vehicle to create goodwill
and to recruit for the military.
As
for Cases, she pronounced herself happy with her career path. “Happy ako sa
desisyon ko,” she smiled.
As
for this tournament?
“Basta
one game at a time talaga. Mahirap magsabi na ‘finals ulit’ kasi mahirap at
very competitive itong tournament na ‘to.
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