“Weh? Sino nagsabi niyan?!,” snickered Aiza Maizo-Pontillas when asked about the MVP buzz she’s built in the on-going Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference.
Talk like this isn’t new for the University of Santo Tomas legend – she currently leads the Petron Tri-Activ Spikers in scoring, while her team is on a 3-0 rampage. Moreover, Pontillas had just fired off 11 points on near 40% attack efficiency in a win over the Generika Lifesavers.
Yet, the lefty winger has always been awkward in interviews when her accolades are brought up.
“Feeling ko ang off ko – ang panget ng ginagalaw ko sa loob ng court, parang nawawala ako sa sarili ko. Minsan napapagalitan ako ni coach (George Pascua) kapag hindi nasusunod ‘yung instructions niya. Mabuti na maganda yung nilalaro ng nga teammates ko kaya ganyan ang record namin,” she answered.
She even giggled when a reporter mentioned her impeccable physical condition, the best she’s looked since college.
“Talaga? Salamat naman.”
She then gave the reporter a friendly nudge on the shoulder. “Wala naman akong diet na ginagawa. Siguro sa sobrang training din lang na ginagawa ng team.”
While other athletes feign humility to look good, Pontillas genuinely feels awkward when praise is thrown her way, often deflecting it towards her team.
When reports calling her selfish and thick-skinned popped up before the SEA Games last year, her fans questioned the reports. It is ridiculous, after all, to call the former Queen Tigress anything other than humble.
When she was chosen to be the team captain of the PSL All-Star team that competed in Thailand a few months back, she courteously turned it down because she thought there were people more deserving then her.
Asked about being one of the best opposites in the league right now, she says Army’s Jovelyn Gonzaga is much better than her.
“Mas bata sa akin Jove, mas mabilis pa sa depensa. May mga bagay na nagagawa siya na hindi ko na magawa. Mas magaling ‘yun sa akin.”
Perhaps when she was younger, Maizo would be as kinetic as Gonzaga. But the 28-year-old rejects that hypothesis. “Mas magaling talaga siya,” she said about Army’s 24-year-old quicker.
“Wala ka namang masasabi diyan kay Aiza talaga,” said her current head cosch George Pascua. “Wala talagang ego. Kahit siya naman talaga ‘yung nagpanalo o siya ‘yung best player sa game, matatawa lang yan. Siya ‘yung alam mong gusto lang talaga manalo.”
It seems that no matter how hard we try, Pontillas will never be comfortable with her greatness. Luckily, she has a loyal fanbase and a hoard of trophies to remind her.
“Hindi ko iniisip ‘yung mga yan. Basta pagdating sa game, laro lang. Gusto ko lang na makatulong sa teammates ko para manalo,” she concluded.
