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MANILA, Philippines – One day at a time.
That is literally the only mindset Alas Pilipinas can afford to have as it ignited a promising two-game winning run in the daily 2024 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup, now on its third day on Friday, May 24.
After bouncing back from a first-set loss and dumping Australia in four sets less than 24 hours ago on Thursday, May 23, the star-studded cast enacted a repeat performance against India, dropping the opener before cruising to a 22-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-18 finish for a 2-0 start in the weeklong tourney.
Now inching closer to a cross-pool semifinal berth, the young star tandem of Angel Canino and Eya Laure are itching to give so much more after back-to-back games finishing as the top scorers.
“This is a really different and rare opportunity given to all of us,” Canino said in Filipino after a 22-point effort, eclipsing her 17-point finish against the Aussies. “We’re grabbing this and we’ll try to minimize more the errors we saw for next time.”
“We’re already here. We’re not going to let go of this easily, the opportunity. This doesn’t come often for us, as she said,” Laure added in Filipino following two straight 17-point efforts. “We’ll maximize what’s in front of us and we’ll do the best things we can for our country.”
As was the case with the last game, however, it was never just a Canino and Laure show, although it looked quite like it for most of the match against the taller Indians.
With PVL MVP Sisi Rondina checked to just 9 points after a 16-point tournament debut, multi-awarded setter and captain Jia de Guzman made it a point to also lean on Fifi Sharma and Thea Gagate, the former La Salle teammates who both scored 12 in a dominating team-up in the middle.
As the likes of Vanie Gandler, Faith Nisperos, Arah Panique, and other standouts are expected to play more minutes amid a crucial load-managing stretch, fans and foes alike of Alas are bound to see that Canino and Laure are merely the opening acts of a loaded ensemble.
“We can’t do it without our teammates. The team effort is crucial, as we can’t survive leaning on just one or two people. It always boils down to teamwork and we can go far in this tournament if we continue to help one another and keep believing,” Laure continued.
“We all need one another inside the court,” echoed Canino, who is again expected to fire off more power hits alongside her star teammates against Iran on Saturday, May 25.
“The points we’re giving, they’re not for us. They’re for the team. They’re for the Philippines.” – Rappler.com
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