When higher stakes come into play, leaders hope their team can unite and peak at the right moment.
This is the mindset of new De La Salle University captain Menard Guerrero, as he led the Green Spikers to a commanding sweep of Perpetual.
The victory comes at a crucial time, with La Salle’s next match being a pivotal clash against reigning UAAP champion National University in the V-League Men’s Collegiate Challenge.
With a 5-1 record, La Salle is in a strong position. A win against NU would tie them with Far Eastern University for the top seed in the upcoming four-team playoffs, which are set to begin next week.
“Siguro yung chemistry pa. Kasi skills individually meron na ‘eh, kaso hindi pa kami nagsasabay-sabay,” Guerrero noted.
“Pag nagsabay-sabay na kami, tsaka siguro namin malalaman kung hanggang saan na siguro yung team namin.”
As the reigning UAAP Best Libero, Guerrero contributed eight digs and five receptions in the sweep of the Altas, showcasing his defensive prowess.
However, he emphasized that individual talent alone won’t be enough.
For La Salle to reach its full potential and keep their back-to-back title hopes alive in the pre-season tournament organized by Sports Vision, Guerrero stressed the importance of team chemistry and executing the coaches’ game plan.
“‘Yung ginagawa ko, okay naman, kaso I feel like kulang pa kasi hindi pa nattranslate ng team namin yung gusto ko at gusto ng coaches ko,” Guerrero admitted.
“Pero getting there naman. Sa training, nagagawa namin nang paunti-unti, pero kulang pa.”
Beyond their individual skills, Guerrero urged the rookie class to quickly develop the maturity needed for collegiate play.
La Salle’s rookie pool, led by promising talents like Joshua Magalaman, Rui Ventura, Chris Hernandez, Michael Fortuna, and Eugene Gloria, shows great potential, but they need to adjust to the intensity of college-level competition.
“Sobrang mabilis at madali naman sila maguide, kaso ang nawawala sa rookies namin ay yung maturity inside the court,” Guerrero explained.
“Pero kung paano namin sila i-handle, sobrang mabilis at madali lang, so kailangan lang talaga ng rookies namin ng touches at playing time.”
With Guerrero’s leadership and the team steadily building chemistry, La Salle’s aspirations for the V-League title remain very much alive.
The true test will come against National University – but Guerrero and La Salle aim to be up for the challenge.
