Petro Gazz Angels’ Grethcel Soltones. –PVL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Grethcel Soltones is determined to step up big time for Petro Gazz as coach Oliver Almadro challenged her to bring back her MVP form in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
The former three-time NCAA MVP out of San Sebastian College has been showing flashes of her prime in the past three games, where Petro Gazz won back-to-back.
Almadro was behind Soltones’ revitalized game as he has been motivating her to regain her peak form.
“I told her: Let’s bring back the prime Grethcel,” said Almadro in Filipino after their 28-26, 25-18, 25-13 victory over Cignal on Saturday at Philsports Arena.
“She promised to work hard to regain that form. She’s embracing it. She needs more perseverance in embracing her role with the team, especially on the defensive end.”
“We’re working on it. We hope when the right time comes, she will be back at her peak, the MVP Grethcel,” he added.
WISER APPROACH
Soltones delivered 14 points in Petro Gazz’s second straight win but she stressed that she is still far from her old lethal form.
“Sobrang dami ko pang bigas na kakainin bago ko ma-reach yung goal,” she said. “I always remind myself that there are already a lot of new stronger players out there. I have to embrace what I have now because before I can do a lot of things when I was younger. Now, I have to be wiser.”
Prior to the game, the veteran outside spiker was the Angels’ second-leading scorer with a total of 20 points and emerged as the league’s second-best receiver with a 58.82 percent success rate.
Almadro also lauded Soltones for becoming more mature and disciplined with the guidance of her fellow wing spikers Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Jonah Sabete. The 27-year-old hitter said she was putting in too much work last year which led to her knee injury in last year’s Open Conference finals.
“Sometimes, even when I’m tired I keep on pushing myself harder. That’s why I suffered an injury way back in 2022 during the championship. I wasn’t able to control my extra workouts,” she said.
Former PVL MVP Soltones is just grateful for the trust of their new coach, giving her a bigger role. And she vows to keep working hard to prove herself that she deserves her spot.
“I promise not to let him [coach] down with the role he entrusted me,” Soltones said. “My goal is to prove that I deserve the spot given to me by coach O and my doubters.”
Petro Gazz guns for its third straight win against PLDT on Thursday at FilOil EcoOil Center.