A Game of Nerves and Presence
by rick olivares
The Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors
showed their championship mettle when they came back from losing the opening
set to take down upstart BaliPure in four yesterday (22-25, 25-22, 25-22,
26-24).
In the first set, Pocari’s guest
player Krystal Rivers struggled to get her timing right in her attacks; no
doubt, a result of her lay-off while waiting for her International Transfer
Certificate to be processed. Gigil
comes to mind. Rivers was sent to the bench for a while to get her bearings. Come
the second set, she found her groove and the result was a devastating 20 points
as Rivers led Pocari to a huge victory.
Rivers’ presence tilted the
balance of power in the game. Fans eagerly waited for the sets to come her way
in anticipation of those booming spikes that gave BaliPure virtually not much
of a chance in receiving. Her elevation made the spikes even more spectacular.
However, I also thought that the
lack of mental toughness by BaliPure’s players also made the difference. I do
not believe it is championship experience. It is a factor but it isn’t the main
factor. To wit, when the Ateneo Blue Eagles defeated the La Salle Green Archers
for the 2008 UAAP Men’s Basketball title, they went through the defending
champions. When the National University Bulldogs won the UAAP title in 2014,
they won it with a crew that was devoid of many of their stars who graduated
the previous season. And prior to that, they didn’t make the UAAP Finals. They
did make it to back-to-back Final Four appearances but still.
Hunger, motivation, and desire
counts for a lot (although they aren’t the only factors).
Open spiker Gretchel Soltones has
played in many championship matches in both the NCAA, the V-League, or even the
Philippine SuperLiga yet she figured again in crucial errors. Risa Sato has
previously played for Ateneo (as a guest player in the V-League) and with
National University in the past UAAP season. It might be seen as a lack of
maturity but like her other Lady Bulldogs teammates in the UAAP, they aren’t
exactly newbies. They have been around the block.
The blocking was somewhat
non-existent and the attacking even more mollifying with terrible decisions
made. Of course, one must make split second decisions which are part of the
game. However, after you commit one mistake, you must rectify it. To commit
them time and again could be several things – a lack of focus and understanding,
nerves?
Sato was absent. In fact, I
wanted to check the roster if she was indeed in uniform. The stat sheet says
she scored seven points that she scattered across four sets. But this is the
second time in three matches where became BaliPure’s version of the Fantastic
Four’s Invisible Woman.
American import Jennifer Keddy
was massive in the last few matches but didn’t fare well in this match.
In contrast, all of Pocari’s main
players showed up – Myla Pablo, Melissa Gohing, Michelle Strizak, Jeannette
Panaga, Desiree Dadang etc.
With two vital cogs unable to get
going, Soltones had a tougher time.
BaliPure came back in the fourth
set after being down by eight points. They even took the lead at 24-22. However,
they never sent the match to a fifth set as they crumbled.
Perhaps that is the best word to
sum up the Purest Water Defenders’ game one – “crumbled.”
I thought that they got worried
about Rivers. BaliPure head coach told his team not to worry about her power.
“You stopped Kuttika,” said Gorayeb after BaliPure’s masterful conquest of the
Creamline Cool Smashers. And I agree. Kuttika is a much better player on both
ends of the court.
Even when they took the first
set, the Purest Water Defenders looked tight. I’d say that’s nerves. Not the
lack of experience.
Before the match started, I sat
next to old friend Clint Malazo who once worked with the Ateneo Lady Eagles and
is now with San Sebastian. Said Malazo, “paramihan to ng errors. Ang pinaka
marami ay yung matatalo.”
I responded, “Yes, but for me, it
is a game of nerves.”
BaliPure was able to get 31
points off Pocari’s errors while conversely, the Lady Warriors only won 21
error points off the Purest Water Defenders.
Nerves. It’s all going to come
down to it for the championship. And who decides to show up.
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