PLDT captain Jerrili Malabanan may seem bashful for most of the time, but there is no denying that her confidence caught the attention of many, Saturday.
When the Power Hitters took on the F2 Logistics in Cagayan De Oro City, Malabanan looked every inch the skipper of her team, steering PLDT down the stretch of a seesaw battle and provided the momentum-swinging hits that kept the Cargo Movers at bay.
The Power Hitters would then pull off the massive upset over the perennial-finalists and walk away with their biggest win of the season so far.
Asked about what went through her mind in the game’s pressure-packed moments, the soft-spoken Fil-American said that she only had one thing in it.
“My mindset was just to enjoy the game,” bared the former captain of Far Eastern University, who finished the match with 21 points — built on 18 points and three aces.
Having fun inside the court truly played a part in Malabanan’s performance. But beyond that, she relished the opportunity of playing in front of a riveting crowd inside the jampacked Corpus Christi Gym.
When the game reached its climax, the onlookers were also at their liveliest. And for Malabanan and her team, the more the audience roared, the more their spirits became unshakeable.
“I think I really have to thank the crowd for making the game that much more exciting,” the 24-year-old spiker said.
“They were cheering their hearts out for both teams, and it really motivated our team to give our best.”
However, at the end of the day, Malabanan acknowledges that PLDT remains at the sixth spot of the standings even though they picked up a win over F2 Logistics and rose to a 6-8 card.
Still, after carving out a character-building five-setter against one of the strongest teams in the tourney, Malabanan believes that the out-of-town match is something that they will carry entering the playoffs.
“We were really just trying to use these last few games of the second round to gain confidence going into the quarters,” she said.
“We had a slow start this season, but I’m happy that our team is getting our game back at the right time.”
