Valdez, Customs fail to overcome Pocari’s experience

Bureau of Customs. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

All the ballyhoo that surrounded the finals series between a vaunted Pocari Sweat squad and Alyssa Valdez’ Bureau of Customs in the Shakey’s V-League Reinforced Conference turned into silence when the first game ended in a sweep.

Pocari cancelled out the noise of a predominantly Customs-leaning crowd inside Philsports Arena and trumped the Transformers 25-22, 25-18, 25-18.

“It was a tough loss for the team, one of the biggest losses sabi nga ni coach Sherwin [Meneses],” said Valdez Saturday.

Both teams scored 30 spikes each but it was the lone similarity as the Lady Warriors controlled every other facet of the match as they scored on 15 blocks and enjoyed the Transformers’ 26 errors.

Pocari also has an intact team that has played together for nearly two years whereas Customs’ lineup was formed just for this conference.

Valdez said it was the experience of Pocari, which is the defending champions of the All-Filipino conference, that played a major role in the match.

“Definitely the experience brings them the confidence and they’re veterans,” said Valdez, who finished with 12 points in the loss. “It’s in their team, they’re guided by a really good coach [Rommel Abella] and yung momentum nasa kanila so it’s really going sa way nila. Plus they have the talent.”

Valdez added a stinging loss like the one they received would be a difficult one to move on from, but they have to compete and gather themselves back up.

“Mahirap i-boost yung confidence, but we can’t do anything, wala kaming pwedeng piliin but be stronger,” said Valdez.