Cobb disappointed after failing to complete La Salle’s 3rd set rally

Michelle Cobb walked out of Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday knowing full well De La Salle won the finals rematch against Ateneo.

The young setter, however, wasn’t at all satisfied with how she performed in the Lady Spikers’ four-set win, 25-20, 25-17, 24-26, 25-20, over the Lady Eagles in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament.

“It was supposed to be my A-game, but then I wasn’t able to perform on a high level in the end,” said Cobb in Filipino as her team ended the first round with a 4-2 card.

Cobb was able to properly orchestrate the Lady Spikers in the first two sets, where she had the bulk of her 22 excellent sets and even blocking Kat Tolentino for the Lady Spikers’ set point in the second set, but she fizzled out in the third set that allowed the Lady Eagles to extend the match.

La Salle was down, 21-11, in the third set before it came roaring back in a 10-0 blur to tie the period at 21, but it was CJ Saga, who played as the setter during the run.

Cobb then replaced Saga and was tasked to close out Ateneo, but one of her sets to Kianna Dy was off and that allowed Maddie Madayag to respond with a block for Ateneo’s 25-24 lead before Tolentino scored the 26th point for the Lady Eagles.

“Of course I’m disappointed with how I played because that would’ve been a miracle if we completed the run,” said Cobb. “I wasn’t able to follow through so it all boils down to my actions and emotional stability as a player.”

La Salle head coach Ramil De Jesus was aware of his setter’s shortcomings in the third set, and he told Cobb to learn from her mistakes in the endgame.

“I told Michelle that when we won in our previous games she showed that she wanted to win, but when we lost she let the team lose,” said De Jesus in Filipino. “She’s the pilot of this team, so it’s up to her wher she’ll bring this team.”

“In the first two sets she was really calm and in control, but in the third set she couldn’t display the finishing ability. I told her that it’s in those crucial times that she’ll get that emotional strength,” added De Jesus.

Cobb seemed to have reflected on De Jesus’ words and treated her late-game collapse as a challenge to become as a better player.

“Coach told me that I had a good start but then I wasn’t able to finish it off, which I know is a wasted opportunity,” said Cobb. “But I’ll take it as a challenge.”