Mane ‘n Tail is off to a 1-1 start in this year’s PSL All-Filipino Cup. After losing to Shopinas in 4 sets in its first game of the season, Mane ‘n Tail recovered and defeated Cignal in straight sets a few days after.
The win against Cignal was not the only reason for Mane ‘n Tail rookie, Len Cortel, to be happy that night. After getting limited playing time during their previous loss to Shopinas, Cortel was the main Libero for her team in the win, playing through the whole match. Not only did she get to play the whole game, she also earned Player of the Game (POG) honors for her brilliant performance.
After the victory, Cortel shared with Tiebreaker Times her experience in the PSL so far.
“Naging starter, then nawala ako,” said Cortel when asked about her first game in the PSL. Which is why it came as a surprise to her when she played extended minutes during their win against Cignal.
“Hindi ko in-expect,” added Cortel when she opened up about her performance in her second game in the league. “But I’ve prepared myself talaga, kasi PSL is not basta-basta lang. Mga veterans na yung naglalaro.”
Cortel’s motivation in the league is to be able to help her team win. But winning is not the only thing on her mind. Being a rookie, She is also out to prove that she deserves the opportunity to play in the PSL.
“Hindi ko lang pine-prepare ‘yung sarili ko. Gusto kong makatulong sa team ko, na deserve akong nandito sa team nila.”
Her motivation seems to be paying dividends, as she won the POG during their win over Cignal. Cortel couldn’t help but beam out a huge smile when asked about her latest achievement, but she also added that she’ll be using this as further motivation to do better next time.
“Nakakatuwa kasi never kong na-experience as a Libero din na maging player of the game. Yun yung motivation ko na gandahan pa lalo yung laro ko, at the same time makaka-contribute sa team ko.”
During her stint at the UAAP, Cortel bounced around from being a spiker and Libero. A difficult thing to do, since both positions play very differently from each other. But now it appears that Len is ready to fully embrace her Libero role.
“Naguguluhan,” shared Cortel when asked about her changing positions. “Promise, from the bottom of my heart. Naguguluhan ako kasi siyempre, it’s not an easy thing para mag-adjust. Ngayon gusto ko nang panindigan yung pagiging Libero, kasi gusto ko na siya eh. Kaya kong panindigan na Libero talaga ako. Alam mo kasi, hindi ko nang pinangarap maging spiker, kaya ngayon push ko na [yung pagiging Libero].”
“I’m starting to get the hang of it naman, but for me aangatin ko yung sarili ko. Kaya ko ‘yun.”
