Alina Bicar (No. 11) gets the trust and playing time from coaching staff and has turned out to be the key to the Crossovers’ strong run of late in the PVL All-Filipino Conference. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
After absorbing tough losses early in its PVL All-Filipino campaign, Chery Tiggo has gotten a lot better and has been tearing down strong teams one after the other, thanks in large part to comebacking setter Alina Bicar who makes sure the Crossovers’ offense runs like a well-oiled machine.
But Bicar has downplayed her role and has repeatedly deflected credit to her attackers, which the Crossovers don’t have a shortage of.
“All of us have been really performing well,” Bicar told the Inquirer in Filipino after leading Chery Tiggo to a 23-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-20 triumph over Nxled on Tuesday.
READ: PVL: Alina Bicar slowly but surely returning to peak form for Chery Tiggo
“That’s what happens when we help each other, that’s the Chery Tiggo that other people haven’t seen, we help each other no matter what happens,” she said after dishing out 17 excellent sets that boosted Chery Tiggo to a third straight win for 5-2 overall.Bicar was sidelined by an injury throughout the 2023 season, and with the other Crossover setters nursing injuries this conference, the former University of Santo Tomas cog is rising to the occasion.
After consecutive losses to Choco Mucho and a stunning defeat to Farm Fresh, coach KungFu Reyes opted to give longer minutes to Bicar in facing a tough opposition in seven-time champion Creamline.
And it paid off big time as Chery Tiggo ended the Cool Smashers’ 19-game winning streak, and in straight sets at that, last week.
READ: PVL: Alina Bicar ‘captain of the ship’ for Chery Tiggo
“For me, it’s all about the team, because we can’t win easily against Creamline—that’s a champion team,” Bicar said. “Everyone wanted to win over them.
“I am thankful for the trust the coaches are giving me, even though I am returning from an injury.”
Adjustment period
Chery Tiggo’s Alina Bicar in the PVL Invitationals. –PVL PHOTO
There was a tremendous amount of adjustments that Chery Tiggo needed when the injury bug bit the squad and after veterans Aby Maraño and Ara Galang came from disbanded F2 Logistics.
The Crossovers, obviously, needed more time to be cohesive and build chemistry. Valuable time shared on and off the court made them achieve that.
“What I can see working for us is the chemistry that we have in striving to work inside and outside practices,” said new team captain Maraño, who scattered nine points against the Chameleons.
SCHEDULE: PVL All-Filipino Conference 2024
“The coaches want to see us fighting hard,” Maraño added. “[Our] communication (on the court), I think, is one of the key things we have done for us to be effective as a unit.”
Bicar’s playmaking also led to Mylene Paat’s 15 points. Eya Laure finished with 12 and Cess Robles 11. But despite playing splendidly in her return, the setter only has the team in mind.“I am not thinking that I should be the only [setter] playing. For me, as long as I am inside the court, I will just do my best,” Bicar said. “I am on the court because my team needs me … and every time I get called, I will perform and do what I can for the team.”