Mika Reyes–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Toward the end of Tuesday evening, just as the spotlight was about to shift to six more debuting squads in the PVL Reinforced Conference, Mika Reyes and her PLDT squad decided to grab a slice of the volleyball conversation.
Reyes, the former La Salle star sidelined by a shoulder injury at the start of the season, was back in the starting lineup of the High Speed Hitters and immediately buckled to work, delivering the key hits as they subdued an undermanned Creamline squad, 16-25, 25-22, 24-26, 25-19, 15-12, at PhilSports Arena.
“When I was sidelined before, my teammates and coaches continued to trust and support me even though I had to prioritize my health for me to recover quickly. I’m grateful that their trust is still there and I reached the timeline set for my return and play this conference,” said Reyes, who was out for seven months.
The win was fashioned out in five sets against a squad missing its top two scorers and its talismanic star—Creamline was without Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza, who were on loan to the national team, and Alyssa Valdez.
But PLDT coach Rald Ricafort did not let those absences take anything away from the victory, which marked the first time in five years that the Cool Smashers dropped their tournament opener.
“We know that even if Creamline isn’t complete, the core is still there,” Ricafort said. “Regardless of the timeline, if you get a win against Creamline, it’s a big thing because they’ve always been the one on top.”
Besides, PLDT was missing its own key pieces, including top scorer Savi Davison and Alas Pilipinas loaner Dell Palomata and veteran playmaker Rhea Dimaculangan. In their absence, Russian Elena Samoilenko led PLDT with 34 points and although Reyes had a mere three points, she did score two of them in the crucial fifth set.
“It was tiring but we prepared well for this because we knew that it was going to be a tough game … our patience really helped us to get this win,” Reyes said.
La Salle reunion
The late-night match was also memorable for Reyes as she reunited with her La Salle teammates Kim Fajardo and Majoy Baron. The two were picked from the ruins of the F2 Logistics disbandment but Reyes’ injury kept them sharing the court
“It felt like nothing changed [from our La Salle days]. I’m very happy that we’re together again,” Reyes said.
Davison will need a treatment on her knee that will keep her out of the tournament while PLDT is also still awaiting the return of another F2 pickup in Kim Fajardo, who is recuperating from her own knee injury.
Reyes said the grind will continue for her teammates when they face Galeries Tower on Saturday.
“We can’t be complacent with our first win because [this game] is already over and we have to focus on our next game,” Reyes said.
Until then, focus will shift on the debuting squads in Group B of the tournament.
Defending champion Petro Gazz tests ZUS Coffee at 2 p.m., followed by the duel between Akari and Capital1 and the nightcap featuring rising power Choco Mucho and Cignal. A lot of focus will be on the Angels, the winners of this tournament in 2022 with import Lindsey Vander Weide, who will now be led by Wilma Salas.
Salas and the late Janisa Johnson spearheaded Petro Gazz’s conquest of the 2019 Reinforced championship.
Filipino-American Brooke Van Sickle, the MVP of the previous conference, will lead the local charge, along with playmaker Djanel Cheng. INQ