During Game One of the NCAA Season 93 Women’s Volleyball Finals, the top-seeded Arellano University Lady Chiefs were on their way to a clinical romp of the San Beda College Lady Red Spikers. The defending champions only allowed 15 and 16 points in the first two stanzas of the contest.
But the well-oiled machine that was the Lady Chiefs lost their grease in the next two sets.
“Sa nakita ko nag-relax ‘yung players ko eh. Start pa lang ng third set hindi na maganda so siguro ‘yun ang isang malaking factor na naman. Hindi pa rin naaalis ang sakit ng Arellano na kapag nakadalawa nag-rerelax,” rued decorated tactician Obet Javier.
“‘Yun nga po dahil sa nag-relax kami nagkaroon ng pagkakataon ang Beda na bumawi tapos nagkaroon din po sila ng confidence noon kasi nga ang dami na rin po naming errors kaya ‘yun po nabuhayan sila,” added third-year Lady Chief Regine Arocha.
Wanting to avoid an embarrassing meltdown, the Lady Chiefs buckled down in the fifth and deciding set. Arellano closed out the game with an emphatic 9-0 run to put the Lady Chiefs on the cusp of a second straight tiara.
“Pinakita lang nila na talagang ‘yung pagiging champion talaga, ‘yung pusong gustong manalo,” the veteran tactician beamed.
“So ‘yun naman ang hinahanap ko sa team ko eh na ‘wag sanang magsawa sa pagiging panalo.”
Still, Arocha, who tallied 14 markers in the contest, believes that they will not be fazed during the potential season-closer on Monday. As they say, it’s better to be confident than relaxed.
“Sinasabi lang po namin sa bawat isa na sa amin ‘to, na kung gusto po namin manalo, gustuhin namin. At saka walang bibitaw, kapit lang, puso lang, tiwala sa isa’t-isa,” said the spiker from Angono, Rizal.
“Kailangan namin maging confident pero dapat hindi po kami magrelax.”
