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MANILA, Philippines – Supporters and spectators merrily flocked to the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan City in Laguna – a bus ride and a couple of hours away from the heart of the metro – to witness the women’s national volleyball squad duke it out in the opener of the 19th Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship.
The travel time and (possible) commuting woes were all pushed to the back of their minds as the huge crowd roared and cheered for the Filipina spikers, who were fresh from an intense overseas training in Japan the past month.
The country, which was tapped to stage the Asian Seniors in Alonte as well as in the Muntinlupa Sports Complex until August 17, saw its national volleyball team score a triumphant opening day victory against Hong Kong, 25-21, 25-16, 25-17.
“It’s really about the team effort talaga,” team captain Mika Reyes said after the game.
“Lahat nag-contribute (everyone contributed), and everybody really wants to win. Good game for everyone,” added Reyes, who dished out 6 points in the win.
The team relied on quick offensive outbursts from the get go, but it wasn’t until the second set that the nationals finally hammered the nail to secure the much-needed, confidence-boosting victory. They established double-digit cushions in the second and third sets, and the momentum never shifted back to the side of their foes.
Despite the onslaught in the attacks department, where they prevailed with 50 excellent spikes as compared to Hong Kong’s 25, the national squad, like in any other days, was still not immune to first day jitters.
The team registered a total of 23 unforced errors, a little over their rivals’ 16 on the board.
But it’s all part of the process, and head coach Francis Vicente remains positive with the effort and teamwork his team showed in its tourney debut.
“[Number one], teamwork,” Vicente told Rappler when asked about the keys to victory in the particular match.“Errors will always be there, what we need is to lessen it.”
“We need to still focus on speed, [and] of course, our receive and service efficiency.”
PH fired off 4 service aces and logged in a 25% efficiency in reception in the straight-set demolition.
The Pilipinas crew will next face Kazakhstan on Friday, August 11, in the continuation of the Pool A group phase.
Facing a Kazakhstan squad with a slight advantage in height is far from Vicente’s mindset, as he notes that the result of Friday’s game will eventually boil down to execution of either teams.
“There is no advantage or disadvantage,” shared Vicente. “It’s a matter of how we will play against them and how they will play against the Philippines.”
The win over Hong Kong puts the Philippines in a better position to snag a quarterfinals berth, as the top two teams from their group will next face the other qualifiers from Pool C, which is composed of competitors from South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.
If Hong Kong falls to Kazakhstan, or should the Philippines lock in a second straight victory, it will guarantee them a ticket to the next round of the competition, and likewise send them through to the Asian Volleyball Cup in 2018. – Rappler.com
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