Trisha Genesis may have been recognized as the Most Valuable Player of the 2019 PVL Collegiate Conference, but she believes there is a player who lives up to the billing more.
Genesis finished as the league’s top scorer with 73 points built on 58 attacks, 13 service aces, and two blocks in the elimination round. She posted a 39.46 spiking success rate, finishing as the second-best in spiking.
But the Adamson sophomore pointed out that she wouldn’t have been able to tap into her scoring potential without the playmaking brilliance of rookie Louie Romero.
“Kay Louie ‘yun,” Genesis insisted.
“Dapat kay Louie ‘yun kasi ‘di ko mapapalo ang bola kung ‘di dahil sa kanya eh.”
True enough, Romero was at the core of Adamson’s unbeaten 5-0 run through the preliminaries of the collegiate tournament.
With her sound decision-making and well-honed skills, the freshman orchestrator churned out the high-octane offense of the Lady Falcons. She even topped the league in the setting department with 6.75 excellent sets per frame before the competition swung into the Final Four.
Even when the Lady Falcons fought for their lives in the semifinals and champions series against St. Benilde and UST, respectively, Romero continued to right and steer Adamson’s ship en route to the promised land.
Given her display of composure and will beyond her years, Romero emerged as the Finals Most Valuable Player. She delivered 33 excellent sets in Game One, while dishing out 24 excellent tosses in the gold-clinching Game Two against the Golden Tigresses.
For Romero’s part, taking home an individual plum was the least of her priorities since her eyes had been set on winning a championship for Adamson.
“Actually talaga, ‘di ko naman ine-expect na kahit wala akong award, okay lang talaga sa akin kasi ‘yun nga, sabi ng mga coaches team muna bago sarili. Bonus na lang talaga ‘yung award na ‘yun,” she bared.
“Mas maganda nang champion ‘yung team kesa naman award ka lang, kaya okay lang sa akin. Tanggap ko naman.”
And while Romero was adjudged the cream of the crop during the title bouts, she insisted that she wouldn’t have done well without the support of her sisters-in-arms.
“‘Di ko naman magagawa ‘yung trabaho kung wala ‘yung mga teammates ko. Ngayon, sa tulong nila, nase-set ko ng maayos ‘yung bola,” she admitted.
“Siyempre, kung wala ‘yun receive nila, wala rin akong mase-set. So team effort talaga ‘yun.”
