Savvy Davison (right) had a kill for PLDT against an Nxled defense. — PVL images
PLDT suffered an injury after being sent off in a controversial PVL reinforcement meeting.
However, the High Speed Hitters are not keeping quiet about what happened. They would rather rise from the ashes of that disappointing result and continue striving for better things in this All-Filipino Conference.
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“In a session with a sports psychologist, [we learned that] it can’t be the main focus [for the rest of our lives]” coach Lardo Ricafort said in Filipino, referring to the team’s controversial loss to Acali that ended last season.
“[That game] That in itself cannot be the only motivator and cannot be the sole focus of our campaign. ”
“We’re here because this is our job and we love what we do. Because no matter what happens, we have to move forward and get used to it. , we need to be able to handle those situations well if they happen again,” he added.
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Defeat Nusred
The High Speed Hitters started the season with a 25-15, 25-17, 22-25, 25-22 victory over Nuxled at PhilSports Arena.
PLDT was eliminated from the import-mixed conference due to a controversial net fault during its five-set loss to Akali in the semi-finals.
When the High Speed Hitters reached match point, the PLDT coaching staff called for a net fault video challenge against Chargers’ Ezra Madrigal, but after lengthy discussion by tournament officials, it was deemed a failure, and the Chargers… points were given to.
Akali tied the game at 14 and secured the victory.
The league cited FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) rules regarding net touching and said Madrigal’s mistake after the attempted block was no longer at fault as Akali import Olly Okaro had already dug the ball in the back row. said. PLDT filed a protest, but the league decided to uphold the decision, further fueling social media outrage.
“These are the steps we are taking moving forward, but we definitely won’t forget an incident like that,” Ricafort said. “The league is working on it right now. We’re just going to move on from there, and at least we’ve got steps to take, so if it happens again it won’t be as confusing as it was last time.”
“[What happened before is] More motivation for us…but as the coach said, it can’t be [our] That should be the main focus because it’s too negative,” captain Cass Arad reiterated in Filipino. “This is a lesson for the team, because if it happens again, it will not only be for us, but for other teams as well. At least we know now that it will affect our game and our mentality. I know what I can do to keep it from giving.” [state] of the players. ”
The High Speed Hitters have not yet recruited the services of Kim Kiana Dee, who is still recovering from a knee injury sustained in last year’s invitational conference. Also, veteran Leah Dimaculangan, the newlywed’s playmaker who has decided to put her family first, will be absent.
On the positive side, Filipino-American Savvy Davison, one of Ricafort’s main scoring weapons, returned from injury and led the team with 19 points against the Chameleons.
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“I’m excited to contribute as always,” Davison said. “We all kind of have a chip on our shoulder to come back. But regardless of what happened in the last conference, we worked hard to get into a podium spot. I think that’s our main goal going forward.”
