Fibr-PH wallops Myanmar in straight sets, enters 9th-12th place matches in AVC tourney
After a stirring triumph over Sri Lanka last Monday (September 16th), the Philippines swept regional neighbor Myanmar 25-18, 25-22, 25-18 to finish second in Group H and advance to the battle for ninth to twelfth place—thereby already improving on its current ranking of sixteenth—in the Classification Round of the ongoing 17th Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship at the MCC Hall in Nakhor Ratchasima, Thailand.
The Power Pinays—backed by Philippine broadband icon PLDT HOME Fibr—will take on Classification Group G topnotcher Australia on Thursday, September 19 for the right to move on to the final tiff for ninth place. The losing squad takes on the loser of the India-Indonesia match-up. India defeated Sri Lanka in straight sets 25-13, 25-15, 25-19 to top Group H. The time and venue for the clash against the Aussies is still to be determined as of this writing.
Still riding a roller-coaster of emotions after outlasting Sri Lanka—the thirteenth ranked nation in Asia—19-25, 25-18, 19-25, 25-23, 15-11, the Power Pinays barely had time to soak in the achievement as the match against the Burmese played out. Myanmar, an up and coming volleyball nation with a phalanx of young but raw players, were easy prey to the more experienced Filipinas, leading many to wonder how they managed to pull off an “upset” against the group’s top squad India in the match preceding the Philippines-Sri Lanka tiff last Monday.
With a combination of power and finesse the Filipinas dominated the contest, led by Perpetual Help star Royse Tubino who topscored for the nationals with twelve markers (four points coming from blocks), backstopped by former University of Santo Tomas stalwart Aiza Maizo-Pontillas’ eleven markers and former San Sebastian ace Joy Benito’s nine.
Members of the contingent became unabashed about their delight in the copping of back-to-back triumphs at this international level.
“Sobrang saya,” exclaimed skipper Angge Tabaquero. “Ang isang panalo achievement na dahil bago kami. Eh, nakadalawa pa! ‘Tapos three sets pa! Happy fiesta!”
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Fibr-Philippines Head Coach Nes Pamilar echoed his captain’s sentiment.
“Ang taas ng pressure nung una, pero kami trabaho lang,” he told Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF) media man Mark Dionisio after the victory over the Burmese. “Ang tanging pananagutan namin (ay) magdala ng karangalan sa bansa. Ngayong pasok na tayo sa Top twelve, (sa tingin ko) mission accomplished tayo diyan.”
The PVF’s Dr. Ian Laurel, a former volleyball player and broadcaster turned volleyball crusader, joined the contingent just in time to witness the demolition job against Myanmar. He was quick to point out that the squad that represented the country in this biennial meet may not have been the strongest, but is amazed at things have worked out for the Power Pinays.
“We wanted to get the biggest and the best,” he admits. “But due to unforeseen circumstances we failed. It turned out to be blessing in disguise. These girls may not be the strongest but they certainly have the biggest hearts to fight for our country’s pride.”
Whether or not the Power Pinays can defeat the taller and more seasoned Australians on Thursday is not the purpose of the mission. The Philippines joined the tournament to gain progressive steps in the international realm and it has received more than it sought. The Power Pinays Program is now the seed of a project that will have a continuous program to maintain a duly recognized and highly competitive national team.
Pamilar believes that with the positive results that have arisen from this initial exposure, many from the collegiate and commercial ranks will find their way to the national team in the very near future.
“Sinimulan natin, nilatag natin ang programa,” he stressed. “Ngayong may suporta na galing sa mga kababayan at PLDT Fibr, Umaasa tayo na sa susunod, sa tulong nila, mapalakas pa natin ang team na ito.”
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Also, after Maizo-Pontillas blasted the naysayers and “crabs” in her statement last Moday, Pamilar was also game enough to acknowledge those who inadvertently fired up the Power Pinays.
“Sa totoo lang, malaking tulong sila,” he nonchalantly disclosed. “Dahil sa kanila, natuto mga players ko na mag pursige. Hindi para ipahiya yung mga hindi naniwala kundi para patunayan na deserving sila sa suporta.”
Two straight victories proves the point for the Power Pinays.
Even Mynmar’s colorful Head Coach Banterng Kaopong had only good words to share about his experience of how the Philippines is slowly re-excelling in the sport.
“I think the Philippines is very strong,” Kaopong, a Thai national, said. "All they have to do is keep joining international leagues for experience and they will be big.”
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Eventually, the Power Pinays Program aims to invite the Santiagos, Daquises, Valdezes and Maraños into its fold. It will only be a matter of time before the critics get their wishes, the doubters become eradicated and the true believers in Philippine volleyball’s future become rewarded.
The Power Pinays are on their first rest day since leaving the Philippines a week ago, but you can guarantee that they are already in some gym preparing themselves for a possible upset against Australia. These intrepid Filipina warriors have proven that anything is possible—in spite of any shortcomings in any front.
Maybe a trip TO Myanmar FOR the Southeast Asian Games is the next logical step, and hopefully, they get to bring aboard a few extra members. Some members that have long arms and stand over six feet tall, some members who have been setters in the international scene before, some members who could make a difference in a couple of months.
Will you join?
BOXSCORES:
Philippines def. Myanmar—25-18, 25-22, 25-18
PHI—Tubino 12, Maizo-Pontillas 11, Benito 9, Tabaquero 8, Eulalio 7, Saet 2, Gata-Pantone (L) 0, Gendrauli 0, Soriano.
MYA—Htay 9, Kyaw 6, K. Wai 6, Aye 4, Than 4, San 4, Aling 2, P. Wai (L) 0, Lwin 0.
Follow Noel Zarate on Twitter (@NoelZarate) and email sportztackle@yahoo.com
