Creamline’s Bernadeth Pons.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Bernadeth Pons has been displaying her MVP form this PVL Reinforced Conference, stepping up in the absence of Creamline stars Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, and Jema Galanza.
Pons has a chance to be Creamline’s fourth conference MVP after the trio of Valdez, Galanza, and Carlos after emerging as a top 10 scorer with 147 points off 136 attacks, six aces, and five blocks as well as No. 2 in receptions with 45.61 percent efficiency, and sixth in digging.
But the do-it-all spiker is not thinking about another “MV-Pons” campaign — a trending topic when she led Far Eastern University to the UAAP Season 80 finals in 2018 but fell to La Salle in two games and didn’t win the top individual award as National University star Jaja Santiago was crowned MVP.
READ: PVL: Pons has something up her sleeve vs former coach, Cignal
Title No. 9, which will end Creamline’s six-year Reinforced Conference championship drought, is all that matters for Pons.
“Hindi ko rin talaga siya iniisip. Basta every game, gusto ko mag-contribute para sa team, maibigay ko yung best ko,” Pons told reporters after her 16-point and 12-reception outing in Creamline’s 25-23, 25-19, 25-18 sweep of Petro Gazz in the knockout quarterfinal on Tuesday evening at Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
“Kung meron man bonus na lang yun. Basta ang goal talaga is to help the team and every game na maka-contribute ako.”
The former FEU star emphasized that she’s just doing her job in filling in the big shoes left by the Creamline trio as she has been joining hands with American import Erica Staunton and Michele Gumabao in leading their depleted squad.
READ: PVL: ‘Disappointed’ Pons bounces back to lead Creamline
“Kailangan talaga mag-step up para sa team kasi nga ang daming wala ngayon. So masaya ako na nakikita ko yung progress ng pinaghirapan namin every day,” Pons said. “Siyempre hindi pa tapos, may susunod pa na game and marami ring mga lapses pa sa past games namin na kailangan naming trabahuin pa din para mas maging pulido yung pasok namin sa semis.”
Pons is eager to continue her “do-or-do” attitude as they play another knockout game against Cignal, which is handled by her college coach Shaq Delos Santos, in the semifinals on Thursday at Philsports Arena.
Although she’s elated to face her longtime coach and some of her former teammates at FEU and Petron, Pons still has something up in her sleeve against the HD Spikers.