Cignal setter Vince Mangulabnan received high praises from head coach Dexter Clamor after steering the HD Spikers’ offense to a high in Game One of the Spikers’ Turf Reinforced Conference best-of-three Finals, Friday.
Despite playing in the biggest stage of the tournament, the two-time Spikers’ Turf Best Setter displayed his poise and dished out well-executed sets to his attackers. Mangulabnan, a three-year pro, glued things together for Cignal and tallied a total of 32 excellent assists in just four sets of play.
“Yung credits talaga ngayon, sa setter.
“Sobrang grabe yung diskarte niya ngayon,” said Clamor following their Game One victory against Go For Gold-Air Force. “Kay Vince sa kanya lahat ng credits kasi talagang kung hindi no block, single block so malaking porsyento ‘yon para makapatay kaagad kami. So ‘wag lang mabago yung diskarte ng setter, mananalo kami.”
The HD Spikers were able to help Mangulabnan by netting 42 excellent receptions and 19 excellent digs, paving the way for his spectacular sets.
That is why Mangulabnan deflected his fine play to his teammates.
“Salamat kasi na-credit sa akin. Pero kung ako yung cinecredit niya, akong cinecredit ko is yung mga teammates ko, kasi hindi ko naman magagawa ‘to. Well, hindi rin kami mananalo kung hindi kami magtutulungan sa loob e,” the NU product said.
“Hindi lang naman ako ‘yun e, lahat. Buong team. Buong team yung nagtrabaho, lahat nag tiwala sila sa akin, nagtiwala din ako sa teammates ko.”
Before the start of the championship series, Mangulabnan have made it a mission to extract all the help he can get to make five-time Spikers’ Turf MVP Marck Espejo’s life above the net easier.
The veteran playmaker remained true to his goal as he put seven HD Spikers in the scoring column by orchestrating a plethora of sets which confused the Jet Spikers.
“Kahit si Marck din yung nagsasabi sa akin na, ‘Pre, bahala ka sa diskarte mo, diskarte mo ‘yan.’
“Well ako yung diskarte ko is nagtiwala lang ako sa mga kasama ko. Nagtiwala din ako sa kanya na alam ko anytime, nandiyan lang siya sa tabi ko. If kailanganin ko ng puntos, may mapupuntahan ako,” said the native of Lipa, Batangas.
With his squad one win away from clinching the Reinforced Conference title, Mangulabnan aims to polish his team’s play and continue his remarkable performance below the net to clinch Cignal’s fourth crown.
“Hindi pa rin kami titigil. Kung ano yung ginagalaw namin, dadagdagan pa namin kung kaya naming dagdagan,” he declared. “Plus magtitiwala pa kami sa bawat isa.
“Kung may kulang ‘man kami dito, makikita naman ng coaches ‘yon, alam naman nila ‘yon. Ipo-polish namin at itutuloy lang namin yung ginagawa namin.”
