Aside from winning the entire thing, F2 Logistics’ Ara Galang set a personal mission this Philippine National Volleyball Federation’s Champions League.
The goal? To surpass her old, deadly form.
“Gusto mahigitan kung ano yung naa-achieve at nagagawa ko dati — Improvement every day and every game,” said the 26-year-old Galang, moments after the Cargo Movers’ 25-12, 25-10, 25-6 annihilation of Baguio City on Sunday.
“Tine-take ko lang one game at a time, day-by-day. Nagfofocus lang ako sa macocontribute ko at matutulong ko sa team.”
And to achieve that, Galang revealed that she is taking things one step at a time – from keeping her focus every game to repaying the faith given to her by her coaches and teammates alike.
“Yung focus hindi ko puwede alisin at yung mindset,” said Galang, who finished with five points and two digs in F2 Logistics’ second-straight win.
“Hindi lang every gameday, kailangan pagtiwalaan ko pa rin yung sarili ko. Kailangan ko bigay yung kumpyansa sa sarili ko tulad ng kumpyansa na binibigay sa akin ng coaches at mga kasama ko. Ginagampanan ko lang yung pinapagawa sa akin,” she continued.
Injuries have hampered Galang since graduating from La Salle. It led her to miss numerous national team invites.
In 2019, it seemed that Galang was on her way to gaining her old form after winning the Best Outside Spiker plum during the PSL Grand Prix.
The pandemic though stopped volleyball. And it ended up being a blessing in disguise for Galang.
“Nung pandemic, nag-focus ako sa rehab sa tuhod ko para maging healthy ako sa ngayon. More on personal development at improvement ang ginawa ko.”
For his part, Ramil de Jesus is letting the UAAP Season 75 Most Valuable Player take her time.
After all, he knows that the wait will be worth it.
“Alam naman natin yung pinaggalingan ni Ara,” he said.
“Kung hindi mo siya kilala as a player, mahirap para sa mga coaches na i-expect sa kanya yung sobrang taas na mahirap naman niya ibigay para sa ngayon. Pero darating din yung panahon na mabibigay niya yung kaya niyang gawin.”
