Remy Palma. PVL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Remy Palma vows to keep working hard after the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference crown remained elusive to Petro Gazz.
Palma, who was named the 1st Best Middle Blocker of the conference, admitted she had mixed emotions after the Angels fell short of winning the championship as the Creamline Cool Smashers prevailed in their do-or-die Game 3 last week.
“We’re still happy because despite all the challenges before the conference with the transition our new coaches and our former teammates who left but new players still joined us so we are still happy,” said Palma in Filipino
“But of course, there is a little bit of sadness because we almost took the championship. It’s a learning lesson because even if we didn’t get the championship we won’t stop working.”
The Far Eastern University standout said she will use their heartbreaking Game 3 loss as fuel for the next conferences.
“For me, I want to start here [runner-up finish]. This will serve as a boost for us to work harder because we failed to achieve our goal so we still lack something,” Palma said.
Despite their second straight runner-up finish in the All-Filipino, the Angels were able to beat all eight club teams, including a Finals Game 1 win over the Cool Smashers that ended their four-year losing streak to Creamline.
“It’s a huge impact for me because this is only my third year at Petro Gazz and I beat Creamline for the first time. So coming to the Invitationals, it will be a big boost. We will bring this extraordinary experience and confidence,” she said.
“We fell short in Game 2 but we forced a fifth set. We were almost there. We have to work on our conditioning and improve our skills, especially our service receive. We have to develop even the smallest things because sometimes those are a big factor to the result of the competition.”
Palma, who won the Best Middle Blocker plum with teammate MJ Phillips, said her individual achievement is just an “extra blessing” as her ultimate goal is still the championship, which she won her first with Petro Gazz during the Reinforced Conference last December.
“All I want is the championship. As a team player, I’m not after the individual award. When I win a championship that makes me happier,” she said. “I’m still happy because I was given this award because I know that I really worked hard this conference. But receiving this doesn’t mean that I will be settled. I have to work on my lapses as an individual and as a team. I won’t be contented until I achieve my main goal which is the championship for the whole team.”
Petro Gazz returns to action in the Invitational Conference in June.