Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Creamline setter Jia Morado said Wednesday their offense does not necessarily revolve around skipper Alyysa Valdez after the Cool Smashers stopped the Power Smashers in straight sets in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference.
Valdez was absent during the Cool Smashers’ 25-22, 25-21, 25-22, win over the Power Smashers due to her commitment to the national team, which is in Japan for a training camp.
“We’re not that dependent on Ate Ly even when she was here,” said Morado in Filipino at Filoil Flying V Centre. “We rely on every spiker that comes to the floor.”
And Morado’s aren’t just words on wind as statistics back up her claims.
Creamline boasts the league’s most potent offense with three of the top 10 scorers wearing its pink-and-white colors.
Valdez is the league’s top scorer putting up an average of 27 points across four games with Rosemarie Vargas and Pau Soriano at sixth and ninth spots, respectively.
Vargas scores 14.6 points a game across the Power Smashers five games and Soriano is at a close 13 points per game.
And it was Vargas and Soriano who provided the principal firepower for the Cool Smashers in their win against the Power Smashers as they finished with 15 points apiece.
Morado said Valdez’ absence is not a reason for them to lose hope and that they have to try to fill in their skipper’s offensive production the best they can.
“The coaches told us that we have to believe in ourselves that we can score,” said Morado who recorded 62 excellent sets. “And I’m really happy that we fought for every point we got.”