Petron eager to get back to title contention after last season’s blunder

Petron has some unfinished business in the Philippine Superliga.

Blaze Spikers head coach Shaq Delos Santos said Petron is eager to get back on the championship track after losing to F2 Logistics in three games in the Grand Prix finals.

“What happened last year was really painful for us especially with how we lost in the finals,” said Delos Santos in Filipino at the press conference Thursday at CenterStage in Mall of Asia Complex.

Petron won the first match of the three-game series against the Cargo Movers but lost the second outing in five sets, 25-20, 24-26, 14-25, 25-19, 15-4, that paved the way for the third and deciding bout.

What hurt the most for the Blaze Spikers was they only needed to win the fourth set in the second game to claim the title but their early 9-0 lead quickly dissipated and F2 used the momentum en route to the title-clinching third game.

“We know that we’ve accepted the loss and now we can see what needs to be improved and that we can become more matured for this new season,” said Delos Santos.

And although Delos Santos won’t have young outside hitters Cherry Rondina and Bernadeth Pons due to the UAAP, he still has imports Hillary Hurley and Lindsay Stalzer to aid him in the title quest.

“The imports really want to get back and win, that’s their no.1 goal,” said Delos Santos. “I still have my core and we have ample support from the bench.”