Weeks removed from her fitting coronation as the Best Middle Blocker in the opening leg of the ASEAN Grand Prix, Majoy Baron lived up to expectations in the curtain-raiser of the Philippines, Friday.
The 5-foot-11 stalwart was a tower of power in the straight-set thumping of Vietnam. She patrolled the net with three kill blocks en route to nine points, helping the Nationals reassert mastery over their victim in the bronze-medal match in Thailand.
“Actually pinaghandaan talaga namin yung Vietnam. May mga strategy kaming ginawa,” the former De La Salle University standout said.
“Pinanood namin yung mga games namin sa Leg One, so mas nakita namin yung mga kailangan i-improve [sa team namin] and yung mga set play nila, so mas naging effective yung blocking namin.”
Baron put on a stellar defensive performance that brought the crowd to their feet inside the Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Sports Complex on numerous occasions throughout the match.
But among her crowd-igniting plays, one stood out the most. It came in the decisive third set, when the Vietnamese threatened to snatch momentum and spoil the Filipinas’ plans of a rousing sweep.
Holding a commanding yet precarious 19-17 edge, national team setter Jia Morado nudged a swift lob to Baron in the middle for a quick combination play.
Baron then recognized a pair of blockers swarming towards the middle, looking to stymie her attempt. She then eluded the defense with a soft push to the corner. As a Vietnamese libero tried to keep the ball alive — to no avail — Baron stared down her victim then strutted away from the scene.
The usually-calm Baron had herself her own “Beast Mode, Don’t Care”-moment.
“Actually kasi naisip ko siya before ko siya gagawin. Parang feeling ko makaka-puntos ako ng ida-drop ko sa gilid kasi nakita ko yung libero, hindi siya nakasaksak doon sa area,” Baron vividly recalled. “So parang nagawa ko siya. Tuwang-tuwa ako kasi naisip ko siyang gawin beforehand.”
She then continued, “Tapos nakita ko si Tyang [Aby Maraño] nagse-celebrate sa labas, so naisip ko na, ‘Shucks parang signature ni Tyang yun ah!’ Kaya natawa lang din ako.
“Parang proud mama si Tyang.”
From there, the Nationals doused Vietnam’s fire and raised the curtains to their second leg ASEAN Grand Prix campaign on a positive note. Baron and her sisters-in-arms now set their sights on powerhouse Thailand on Saturday, October 5, at the same venue.
“Alam naman natin na Thailand is Thailand. Pero for me, kailangan lang namin maglaro ng enjoy,” she said.
“And dapat may natututunan kami every game kasi, nadadala naman yun sa mga games. And importante naman ang SEA Games so parang kukuha kami ng experience sa game namin tomorrow with no pressure.”
