She wanted it. Needing just one more point to show the Philippine SuperLiga, no, to show the Philippines, that we have what it takes to compete internationally, Jovelyn Gonzaga wanted that last point.
She ran to the left Joanne Bunag faked a spike, but Watchareeya Nuanjam didn’t fall for it. It didn’t matter. Gonzaga jumped and found a tiny gap in the defense. Her left hand connected with the ball, and it landed right where she wanted. Point for RC Cola! They did it! The RC Cola Army Lady Troopers defeated the visiting EST Cola and claimed their fourth PSL title.
Crowned the MVP during the awarding ceremony, Jovelyn Gonzaga was brilliant in the match. Scoring a game high 19 points, with 14 of them coming from attacks, including the game winner. She also chipped in 4 blocks and an ace.
Brought to tears as her name was called for the MVP awarding, she couldn’t help but remember all the hard work she had to endure to arrive at this moment.
“Dugo’t-pawis yung pinuhunan namin dito. Bakasyon namin pinuhunan namin dito,” shared Gonzaga. “Nag twice-a-day training kami and all, nagsakripisyo kami para i-commit ang sarili namin para sa larong ito, at ito yung resulta.”
She also mentioned that the MVP award was just a bonus, since the victory of the team is the most important thing after all.
“Bonus, sobrang bonus. Naging goal lang talaga namin is mapanalo yung laban na ito. Ang sarap sa feeling na nagtulong-tulong kami, sama-sama kami, at nakita yung puso sa laban, and ito yung result. “
The RC Cola Army Lady Troopers are now 4 for 4 in the PSL conference that they have joined. They won three straight before going on a hiatus, skipping the 2014 Grand Prix as well as the 2015 All-Filipino and Grand Prix conferences. They rejoined the PSL this conference, and it’s like nothing changed. They’re still one of the most dominant club teams in the Philippines, and Gonzaga is happy to be able to add another title to the the team’s already impressive accolades.
“Yan yung nakakatuwa kasi nadefend namin yung title namin. Thank you sa PSL na binigyan ulit kami ng opportunity na makasali. Thank you sa tiwala nila.”
“Sobrang overflowing yung happiness na nararamdaman namin ngayon, pero hindi pa rin nagsisink in. Siguro pag-gising nalang namin bukas. Sobrang saya,” she ended.
She’ll wake up the day after with a smile on her face, the win will sink in, and she’ll realize it was worth it. All the trials and tribulations that led to this title was worth it for Jovelyn Gonzaga.
