Offense may be the crowning jewel of the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, but Majoy Baron insists that defense has been the pièce de résistance of Ramil De Jesus’ system.
“For me, mas focus namin ang defense kasi yung principle ni Coach [De Jesus] is ang team na madepensa, mahirap talunin,” the 6-foot-1 Baron said.
“Totoo naman ‘yun and kita naman.”
This was most evident when the Cargo Movers eked out a tough challenge against the gritty Generika-Ayala Lifesavers on Saturday, wherein the league-leaders were dragged to their first five-setter outing in ten games.
Though scoring played a huge role in their escape act, the troika of Baron, Dawn Macandili, and Kalei Mau proved that their defensive prowess can make the biggest of difference.
Baron, a one-time PSL Best Blocker and a three-time Second Best Blocker, accounted for over half of her team’s kill blocks; she tallied nine of F2 Logistics’ 17 rejections en route to 14 points. In hindsight, she single-handedly out-blocked the Lifesavers, who only had four denials in the contest.
“Feel ko nakuha ko lang din yung timing ng atake nila since sobrang aggressive nila mag attack. Noong mga first two sets, siguro palo lang sila ng palo, power. Yun, nakuha ko na yung timing,” she said.
The Cargo Movers’ floor defense is equally impregnable, especially with libero Macandili in charge. The fleet-footed defensive specialist put up a whopping 43 excellent digs to go along with 12 excellent receptions.
Complementing Macandili is Mau, who has been an all-around force for F2 Logistics. The Fil-Hawaiian did not just take the bulk of scoring with a game-high 25 points, but also carried some of the load on defense. She notched 23 excellent digs and 16 excellent receptions.
While F2 Logistics almost had their unbeaten slate tainted by Generika-Ayala, Baron believes that games like those will only make them a better team in the long run.
“For us, maganda yung nangyayari yung nacha-challenge yung team namin para mas makita namin yung weakness namin at yung mga kailangan pa i-improve,” the product of La Salle bared.
“Okay na na-challenge kami and ma-work on pa namin yung mga nagkulang sa game na ‘to.”
