Aby Marano of F2 Logistics. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
, surveying the damage of Tuesday’s Finals Game 1, had a clear picture of exactly what happened: “We became too meek and lost our fire.”
The feisty enforcer of F2 Logistics said her team needs to regain its confidence in order to stop Petron from sweeping the Philippine Superliga All Filipino Conference title Thursday.
“We have to come out like we are ready to eat our opponents alive,” Maraño said in Filipino. “It’s a test of character for us.”
Game time is 6:30 p.m. at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
With a solid lineup that they use efficiently, the Blaze Spikers blasted the Cargo Movers, 25-23, 25-21, 25-19, to inch closer to their first title in two seasons.
“You know our team, we have a way of coming back,” said Maraño. “We just have to erase doubts in our mind. Yes it was a three-set defeat. But we need to move on. I know we can do it as one whole team.”
For Petron coach Shaq delos Santos, it was his wards’ burning desire to win that made the Game 1 victory possible.
“It was our heart which carried us in this game,” he said. “We’re already in the championship match. It’s no longer a question of skills or talent; it’s now a question of willingness and desire. Whoever wants it more would definitely win.”
But Delos Santos said they are wary F2 Logistics will come back to retain the title.
“Knowing F2 (Logistics), they will surely bounce back,” he added.
F2 coach Ramil de Jesus said he called for a “national team-level” performance from his wards but didn’t get one last Tuesday.
“I know that what we showed in Game 1 wasn’t the real performance of F2 Logistics,” De Jesus said. “The adrenaline of the players in Game 1 was so high that they tend to commit mistakes.”
De Jesus added: “I told them that some of them were selected in the national team, so they might as well come up with ‘national team-like’ performance.”
F2 Logistics boasts national team players in Maraño, Kim Fajardo, Dawn Macandili and Kiana Dy.
Petron has four in Mika Reyes, Rhea Dimaculangan, Aiza Pontillas and Ces Molina, who topscored in Game 1 with 11 points.
Of the national team mainstays of F2 Logistics, top libero Macandili played below expectations, failing to get first ball which created a domino effect in their offense.
But De Jesus expressed confidence on his players that include reigning UAAP champions Majoy Baron, Desiree Cheng, Macandili and Dy of La Salle.
“My players are warriors,” said De Jesus, “I know they will come back and redeem themselves. It’s not over yet. The series won’t end on Thursday.”