The volleyball world is incredibly small and close-knit. And nothing better encapsulates that point than the on-going Chooks-to-Go/PSL Grand Prix Finals between the Petron Blaze Spikers and the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers.
Petron have the well-traveled Lindsay Stalzer on their side. Aside from this being her fourth stint in the PSL, Stalzer has campaigned everywhere from Europe to Asia. Earlier this year, the former PSL Most Valuable Player led Indonesian club Jakarta Elektrik to a championship.
Her partner there? F2 Logistics’ Venezuelan scoring machine Maria Jose Perez.
“She’s such a great player,” Stalzer said of her former teammate after Petron took Game One of the Finals.
“We’re really good friends off the court. But she knows too that when we’re on opposing sides of the net, that it’s all business and we have to try to get our team the win.”
“Lindsay’s a great player,” conceded Perez, who topped the Cargo Movers with 15 points in Game One.
“She’s also a really good teammate and you can see it with how well she bonds with her teammates in Petron.”
The squads’ other two foreign reinforcements also share a connection. Just last year, F2 Logistics’ Kennedy Bryan had a rather controversial falling out in the Korean Volleyball Association with club Expressway Hi-Pass.
Her replacement? Petron’s Hillary Hurley.
The hard-hitting Souther Californinan remembers her stint in Korea fondly, where she had a memorable scoring duel with former Petron import Alaina Bergsma. She even got a tattoo to remind her of Korea.
Still, Hurley admits that she is yet to win a championship in the international scene. A win away from winning the Grand Prix trophy, Hurley is incredibly excited to leave the Philippines with gold.
“I’ve always been very close. We’ve won a few tournaments, a few rounds, but never a whole season like this,” said Hurley, who is a known scorer around Europe.
“Honestly, being in the Philippines has been such a blessing. I would want nothing more than to get the championship for my teammates and for all the incredible who have supported us along the way.”
