National University-Sta. Elena’s preparation for the upcoming UAAP season got a huge boost after the school bagged the 2022 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference championship.
Still, despite that, team captain Joshua Retamar believes that the Nationals still have a long way to go before reaching their peak form.
“Masasabi ko yung team namin nasa 60-percent na kasi sobrang dami pa naming kailangan aralin lalong lalo na sa serve and marami pa rin kaming lapses pagdating sa blockings,” Retamar said following NU-Sta. Elena’s title-clinching Game Two over Cignal last Saturday.
“Masasabi ko yung team namin pagdating ng UAAP na main league namin, nasa 60-percent so may ilang months na kami na pwedeng mag-training para mabuo namin.”
The Nationals finished off the HD Spikers via a four-set, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 25-23 victory which put an end to the latter’s three-peat bid.
Retamar took charge for NU-Sta. Elena with 20 excellent sets to go along with seven points. He was also awarded as the Best Setter of the tournament, joining Nico Almendras and Obed Mukaba, who won the Most Valuable Player award and the First Best Middle Blocker plum, respectively, in the Elite Team.
The playmaker out of Laguna said that this huge win will definitely serve as a confidence booster for the squad, especially for their rookies led by Finals MVP Michaelo Buddin.
“Sobrang saya namin lalo na yung mga bago, syempre kaming mga seniors din syempre sabi nga ni coach galing kami ng pandemic tapos binigyan kami ng chance na mag-laro sa ibang bansa, hindi pa ganun ka-solid yung team namin nun,” said Retamar.
“So dinala namin dito and napapansin namin na may maganda nang (nangyayari) and naa-adapt na namin yung sistema ni coach na pinapagawa niya samin. Ayun, nag-champion kami,” he added.
