Filipinas shrug off first-game jitters vs Hong Kong

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

BIÑAN, Laguna—National team skipper Mika Reyes admitted there were first-day jitters when the Philippines faced off against Hong Kong in the opening day of the AVC Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship Thursday.

The Philippines made quick work of Hong Kong 25-21, 25-16, 25-17, in the group stages to take a 1-0 record atop Pool A but there were times when some of the players seemed stiff while on the floor.

“There’s still the first-game jitters and I’ve always said that our camp wasn’t that long, it was just two or three weeks,” said Reyes in Filipino as she put up six points at Alonte Sports Arena.

READ: Philippines whips Hong Kong in AVC opener

“But we still applied the patterns and the lessons we’ve learned during our Japan training camp.”

The Philippines went to Japan in preparation for the AVC tournament and the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games.

Substitutes Kianna Dy and Gen Casugod were visibly nervous during their brief time on the floor with the two unable to put on points and instead produced errors late in the match.

Reyes, though, was still pleased with how her team performed but she knows they can perform better in the coming days.

“We’re happy with how we played,” said Reyes. “We just need to up our confidence and increase our intensity in the next games.”