F2 Logistics’ Myla Pablo. MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Despite bombing out of championship contention, Myla Pablo was pleased with the gallant stand shown by the depleted F2 Logistics in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational Conference.
The Cargo Movers got eliminated following a loss to Japan’s Kurashiki Ablaze on Tuesday at Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Pablo, who scored 12 points, admitted that they missed the presence of Kianna Dy, who missed her second straight game due to a right knee injury as the Cargo Movers were overpowered by the Ablaze, 20-25, 22-25, 20-25, to remain winless in three games in the semifinal round.
“We still played a good game, earlier. But we still fell short. Kianna could have been big for us, especially her offense and blocking. We just dedicated this game to Kianna but we didn’t get the win. At least we gave our best. It was tiring but we really fought hard in this game,” said Pablo in Filipino.
“Kurashiki is a great team. They were able to dig our attacks. It’s overwhelming because it’s a Japanese team, all the teams want to face teams like them. I think it’s still a big boost for us and we learned a lot from them. I hope next conference or next game, we will able to apply all the learnings,” she added.
Pablo, the former league MVP, said their coaches still lauded their effort during their postgame talk in the dugout after tallying 11 blocks in the match, led by Majoy Baron’s five rejections.
Pablo was with Ara Galang and Ivy Lacsina as the Cargo Movers’ wing spikers with Jolina Dela Cruz also not playing against the Japanese team.
“We didn’t talk much but our coaches were proud of the way we played especially in blockings. But we still lacked on offense since our adjustments didn’t work. But we should have embraced the roles given to us for our team,” Pablo said.
Dy is likely sitting out the remainder of the conference as her swollen right knee still needs at least three weeks to heal, according to Pablo.
“Her knee is swollen. I think she needs to rest for three weeks. We can’t force her to play because her health is our top priority. There is still another conference so it’s better for her to rest,” she said.
F2 Logistics, which is tied with Cignal in fourth place with identical 1-2 records, seeks to finish strong against Vietnam’s Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh (0-3) on Friday for a chance to play in the battle for bronze.
“Vietnam is also one of the good teams in this league. We have to work on the things we lacked in this game against Japan. Even if we won’t make it to the finals, we have to help each other to get that win, which will be huge for us,” Pablo said.