Arguably the best foreign player to ever grace the Philippines, Marina Tushova’s magical run in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference came to a disappointing end on Saturday night.
The 25-year-old spiker has shattered the league’s single-game scoring record not once, not twice, but three times.
However, she saw her campaign with the Solar Spikers cut short by Cignal.
Despite a valiant effort that saw her team battle back from a 0-2 deficit, they ultimately fell short in a hard-fought match.
Tushova saved her best performance for last, delivering another record-breaking effort with 50 points on 47 attacks, two blocks, and one ace.
She also had 16 excellent receptions and 12 digs in the 19-25, 34-36, 25-16, 25-22, 12-15 loss to the HD Spikers in the knockout quarterfinals.
“Yes, the team is very sad, to be honest. But it’s a great lesson for us. You always learn more from losing games than from winning games,” she told reporters after the loss.
She added, “Today was one of those days, and I’m still happy. Cignal did a great job. Congratulations to them, and I wish them good luck in the semifinals.”
Despite the heartbreaking defeat, the prolific Russian scorer remains grateful for the love and support from her team and Filipino fans throughout her stay in the country.
She knows she left everything on the court.
(C) PVL Images
“I hope the fans enjoyed this game – I saw that my team enjoyed it, too. I gave everything for this game. We just needed a little bit more. I don’t care about my record today; I wanted our team to win, unfortunately,” Tushova expressed.
Tushova had a remarkable journey in the 2024 Reinforced Conference, guiding the young Solar Spikers – who had managed only one win in the previous tournament – to their first-ever playoffs appearance.
The former Sparta Nizhny Novgorod star first made waves in the league with a stunning 45-point performance in a five-set victory over Choco Mucho, surpassing the previous 44-point record set by Dominican spiker Priscilla Rivera.
Just over a week later, Tushova etched her name into the record books again, exploding for 49 points in another five-set win.
That came against Nxled, breaking her own record – then came today, setting a new high in the quarterfinals.
Without a doubt, Tushova leaves the Philippines as a volleyball legend, forever etched in the hearts of Filipino fans. But she hopes her story does not end here.
“I still hope we will have another opportunity. I hope to come back here to play again, and I hope I will be better next year,” said Tushova.
She added, “I also hope that Capital1 will improve, and I can bring something more to this amazing team.”
(C) PVL Images
For now, she will fly to Azerbaijan to join her new team, Ganja.
As she moves forward, Tushova carries with her the lessons learned in the Philippines – lessons that have made her a better volleyball player and will surely serve her well in the next chapter of her career.
“For sure, like how you do here – amazing, yes. But I still have this boundary, and my coaches often tell me, ‘Marina, relax, enjoy, smile.’ Sometimes I’m too intense, thinking, ‘How is it possible to smile when you work so hard?’” she reflected.
“But yes, you Filipinos taught me this. You can enjoy and work hard. You can smile and still be dedicated. Yes, I like that. I hope to keep this spirit, this Filipino part of me, even when I move to a new environment. I need to keep it.”
