With Ivy Lacsina’s move to the opposite position, F2 Logistics middle blocker Majoy Baron is experiencing a career resurgence of sorts in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference.
Baron, a former UAAP Season MVP and Best Blocker, was relegated to the bench during the 2023 All-Filipino Conference as Lacsina and Aby Maraño assumed the starting positions for the Cargo Movers.
Now, Baron has returned to the First Six and did not disappoint during F2 Logistics’ five games in Pool B, as they went 4-1 to advance to the semifinals.
Baron is currently having a hot streak, scoring in double figures in points in their last three games, including a conference-best 16 points against Petro Gazz last Thursday.
“Siguro nalabas lang din yung laro ko with the help of my teammates. Kapag may magandang pasa mas madaling makaplay yung gitna kaya thankful din ako kay Ate Kim (Fajardo) na minaximize niya yung play sa akin,” said Baron on Tuesday as she got the Player of the Game nod against Foton.
“It’s good to be back,” added Baron, who posted 12 points on nine attacks, two service aces, and a block.
The 5-foot-11 blocker from Concepcion, Tarlac, is currently averaging 11 points per game, placing her 13th in the league’s scoring list, while also being the sixth-best blocker with a 0.65 count per set.
For F2 Logistics head coach Regine Diego, she never lost trust in Baron despite the limited minutes she got in the previous conference.
“Syempre I’m very happy for Majoy because I know na — kasi ang daming nagsasabi na hindi na kaya ni Majoy, she’s getting old blah blah blah blah I never really cared about that,” said Diego, the league’s only female head coach.
“I know this girl has the heart, I know this girl has the fire inside of her kailangan lang ilabas, kailangan lang ng time, kailangan lang ng recovery.”
With her game trending upward just in time for the semis, where teams from Japan and Vietnam will join the fun in the country’s first and only professional volleyball league, Baron is not about to stop working hard.
Instead, she will keep working hard until the Cargo Movers reach the pinnacle of success.
Diego also wishes that Baron maintains or even improves her performance as the action heats up with the six best teams competing against each other in the round-robin semis.
“Ang mindset ko lang talaga is gawin yung work ko kasi doon naman lagi yung focus ko kung ano yung matutulong ko sa team,” said Baron, a product of De La Salle University.
“Kami naman lagi naman kaming nagwo-work hard every training, every game. We’ll get there unti-unti,” she added.
“Hopefully, she will do more in the future, but I know na as long as naniniwala siya sa mga teammates niya, it’s going to happen. More POGs for her,” Diego said.
