Soltones shrugs off another finals loss: ‘It’s just volleyball’

Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Grethcel Soltones held her head high after San Sebastian came up short anew in the NCAA Season 92 women’s volleyball tournament.

Despite another heartbreak, there was no trace of tears in Soltones’ face.

“Why should I cry? We already lost, so should I cry too? For me, I tried my best, we tried our best, but we just didn’t make it. There’s nothing more that we could ask from ourselves than to give our best,” Soltones said in Filipino after the Lady Stags bowed to the Arellano Lady Chiefs in four sets Tuesday.

For all her brilliance, Soltones, a three-time NCAA MVP, failed to win the championship in her fourth Finals appearance in five years.

Making matters worse, San Sebastian blew a thrice-to-beat advantage in the Finals for the second straight season.

Soltones brushed off the shortcoming, saying that though she will end her collegiate career without a title, she’s still content with what she had accomplished wearing San Sebastian colors.

“I don’t mind that because we tried our best. There are lots of worse things that I’ve been through. This is just the championship. It’s just volleyball,” Soltones said. “Had we had a complete lineup, we could’ve beaten them. Arellano deserved this and their composure showed.”

Soltones hopes her teammates learned a lot from her and coach Roger Gorayeb.

“I want them to stay positive in everything they face and stay calm. I hope that I imparted that trait to them and they learned a lot from me and coach Roger (Gorayeb),” she said.

Soltones will now shift her focus to winning a third straight beach volleyball crown.