Tower rising
Jean Asis is not on a vacation mood yet, doing everything to prove to Galeries Tower and the team faithful why she is worthy as the No. 2 overall pick in the last Premier Volleyball League Draft.
“We didn’t want to go on vacation yet,” said Asis in Filipino after finishing with 17 points, three blocks and two aces in leading the Highrisers to a 25-16, 25-20, 30-28 sweep of Capital1 and No. 1 pick Bella Belen in the All-Filipino Conference play-in stage at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City on Tuesday.
“We’re not ready for the season to end,” said Asis, whose efforts were highlighted by a crucial defensive gem on Belen in the stretch. “We still want to prove that we can go even higher as a team.”
The victory came on the heels of a five-game losing streak, capped by a four-set defeat at the hands of Belen and Co. just four days ago
Asis knew that they could have won that match last Saturday, that’s why she moved on right away and focused on the game that mattered, even after Belen sent her team to multiple set point advantages in the third until Asis blocked her, followed by Gayle Pascual’s game-winning hit.
“I actually promised Juju (Coronel, the setter) after the last game, ‘Ju, we’re taking this one,’” Asis said. “That really stuck with me. I even told coach, ‘coach, we’ve got this.’
Galeries battles Nxled on Saturday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, hoping to keep its run alive.
Expectations high
Entering the match with a 2-7 record in ninth place, the Highrisers continued a trend of late surges, recalling last year’s All-Filipino Conference run when they upset No. 3 Cignal in the qualifying round to reach the quarterfinals.
For Asis, she just wants to live up to the expectations as the second overall pick.
“I feel like I had to live up to it, too—being the second draft pick, I had expectations for myself to perform well, especially now that I’m back with Galeries,” she said. “That’s what I held on to and it pushed me to really show what I can do.”
Julia Coronel had 22 excellent sets, as Gayle Pascual and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas had 14 and 12 points, respectively. Roselle Baliton had 11 points, highlighted by four blocks, while libero BLove Barbon had 15 digs and 11 excellent receptions.
Belen’s strong conference campaign, in which she emerged as the leading scorer, came to an end.
The top overall pick was the lone bright spot for Capital1 with 21 points, 12 digs and nine excellent receptions.
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