Region IV-A spikers claim PRISAA Nat’ls crown; dethrone Region XI
Confidently proving that they have enough in their tank, the Region IV-A spikers successfully overthrew the Region XI in straight-set scores of 25-20, 25-19, 25-23, and came out as the champions of the men’s volleyball tournament during the final round of the Private School Athletic Association (PRISAA) – Nationals on May 24 at the University of Mindanao (UM) Matina Campus, Davao City.
Holding the spotlight on the famed opposing teams, the finals match-up between the CALABARZON vs. Davao rivals was much anticipated by spectators and supporters alike. Batangueño John Israel Marfil came up big with his all-star performance as he was crowned as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the league together with Nelson Olla who received the Best Blocker award and John Carlo Valencia who received the Best Attacker award.
Well-deserved victory
Starting the tournament with a lot of heart, CALABARZON’s national journey was mostly smooth sailing as they sailed the elimination round to earn an outright finals berth with a win-loss bracket of 7-0.
In the championship game’s first set, Region IV-A got off to a flying start with strong offenses and defenses. Despite committing errors during the last canto, the CALABARZON spikers expanded their supremacy by clutching the second and third sets.
After the game, acting Coach Jerome Mirano shared the secret of their victory, “’yong advantage naming [ay ‘yong] depensa namin tsaka ‘yong sa attacker namin. Talagang binuhos nilang (Region IV-A spikers) lahat [at] nagtiwala sila sa isa’t-isa.”
“First of all, it’s not about the [individual] awards. Focused ako lagi sa goal ng bawat isa, that is to be the champion. ‘Yong awards, bonus na lang ‘yon. Everybody deserves it so pag nagka-award, thankful ako at ibig sabihin lang [na] nag–work kami as a team and mas nagbunga lahat ng pagod at sacrifices na ginawa namin sa trainings,” PRISAA Nationals MVP Marfil stated.
Still aiming to give his best for the team until the very end, graduating Patriot ace player Eddiemar Kasim, who sprained his left ankle since PRISAA – Regionals shared his insights for his final PRISAA performance, “Sabi ko sa kanila (teammates), last year ko na ‘to. Kailangan makuha natin ‘to (championship title) bago ako mag-exit sa [De] La Salle [University – Dasmariñas].”
Amidst all the pressure and expectations weighing down Region IV-A, what made them for the gold and glory was their unity, hardwork and their ultimate goal—to lock in the coveted championship spot.
