Even though F2 Logistics started the 2023 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference with back-to-back wins, head coach Regine Diego admitted that they still have a lot to work on.
The Cargo Movers need to hasten the process of jelling in this compact one-month conference, especially with three rookies on the team.
Mars Alba and Jolina Dela Cruz started in the team’s first two games, while Jov Fernandez consistently earned minutes off the bench.
Fortunately for them, the league will have a nine-day break to give way to the country’s hosting of the Volleyball Nations League. They can use this break to improve their cohesion without jeopardizing their win-loss record.
“We have so many things to learn, we have so many things to adjust. We have to jell more because there are new ones inside the court and the leadership kailangan pa namin buuin kasi ang dami pang adjustments because we’re not like other teams na buo na yung First Six ever since,” said Diego after the team’s 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 25-22 win over Cignal on Saturday.
“Halos kalahati ng team namin bago yung starters. I’m happy na I have a lot of options now but we have to make sure that they jell together, they know what to do everytime kasi yung mga lapses namin happen because hindi pa sila ganon ka-connected.”
The three rookies have performed well in their first two games, with Alba and Dela Cruz excelling in their starting roles, and Fernandez proving to be a spark off the bench. However, minor miscommunications were also present.
At 2-0, the Cargo Movers are tied for first place with Choco Much in Pool B, with three games left to play for each team.
When the action resumes on July 11, F2 Logistics and the Flying Titans will break the tie at 6:30 p.m. at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
“Siyempre we have to prepare for the next match because every match naman is very important to us and this break should help us na maayos yung mga lapses namin this game and last game,” said Diego.
Kianna Dy, who led the Cargo Movers in scoring in the last All-Filipino Conference, acknowledged the need to improve every aspect of their game during the break since only the top two teams per pool will make it to the semifinals.
She also commended the three rookies for being a positive addition to F2 Logistics, which was coming off a bronze medal finish.
“Siyempre it’s good for us because this is a short tournament and every game counts. Since the games are close to each other, it’s important that we adjust right away,” said Dy, who dropped 23 points against the HD Spikers.
“We’re super thankful that they chose to be part of F2 and they’re super magandang addition sa team. Everyone has their own contribution so tulong tulungan lang kami until the end,” she added about their rookies.
