Foton wasn’t having the best of title defenses when it ran into a blazing Petron in the first game of the championship series in the Philippine Super Liga Grand Prix.
The defending champions were immediately forced to play catch-up after being down two sets to nothing.
But as fate would have it, the Tornadoes found their second wind and managed to tie the sets at two apiece and force a deciding fifth.
Lindsay Stalzer, Foton’s 32-year-old talisman, knew that whatever hole they’re in the Tornadoes could always rely on each other to get out of it.
“Everyone was just really good with not hanging their heads down, Ariel [Usher] was really good in giving motivational speeches and that’s just part of our team,” said Stalzer, who had 30 points. “We know we can count on each other when we’re down.”
Come fifth set, though, Stalzer made it a one-woman show.
She scored four of Foton’s last five points in a 12-1 match-clinching run as the Tornadoes upended Petron, 20-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 15-9.
“It’s amazing that we came back and I guess we just got over our nerves,” said Stalzer. “I don’t know why we’re nervous because I know we’re a good team, and we showed it in the third, fourth, and fifth sets.”