This year's volleyball season has taught me so many great lessons. It was one of the most exciting experiences I've ever had in my life. Our team went to the ISAC tournament with high hopes of winning the championship. We've all trained hard for it all season, and we (especially the seniors) were hungry for a 1st place trophy.
One the first day of the competition, we thought we had the advantage of being able to watch all the teams play before our first game, but this proved to do the opposite as we had to play against Brent Baguio, the defending champs, for the first time away from our home court. I myself was nervous, and needed time to adjust. Our libero was not used to playing on a different court. Baguio had already adjusted to the court as they played up to the third set against another team earlier that morning. We started playing our game late in the 2nd set, however, Baguio still ended the game in 2 sets. Although it was a harsh loss, we shook it off and won our second game that day against Brent Manila.
The second day was a tough day. We had to play 3 games, one with a strong team with homecourt advantage, CIS. Our first game was with BSM, we didn't seem to have a problem, and we played our game and won the game in 2 sets. Our second game was a tough one. We played against CIS, who had a couple of strong hitters, a decent setter, and all of them fought for every ball. The first set was intense, winning it with the ending score of 31-29. The second set was won by CIS. By the 3rd set, everyone looked tired. The crowd was roaring, and my hands were shaking both because I was nervous, and probably because my muscles were tired as well. Our coach kept telling us that it was all about "heart" ("puso" in filipino) and about who wanted it more. We worked hard as a team, we did not give up and as we were drifting away from them, I could see the look on their faces. I could tell that they were giving up. This however, boosted me and my teammates up, and took the 3rd set. It was a great game maybe the 2nd best game of my life so far. Later that day we faced FAM. Our fist set was rusty, but after a timeout, we brought our team back together and defeated them in 2 sets. FAM taught us a valuable lesson which was to not underestimate any team, and give them our respect by playing our best game.
The last day of the competition was the most tiring and emotional day of the whole tournament. We played Southville in the morning and took the game in 2 sets. This placed us 2nd in the tournament. Baguio(1st) would have to face Southville(4th) and Subic(2nd) would have to face CIS(3rd) for the semi finals. We ate lunch, took showers, and relaxed while waiting for our game against CIS. As the time got nearer, we warmed up, reviewed our strategies and prayed as a team as usual. I was pretty nervous for this game, but I was excited as I was looking forward to giving the crowd and everyone else there another great volleyball game. We served the ball well, without a single error, our libero and other teammates fought for every ball and received well, and we communicated and cheered our hearts out. We took the first set and was looking forward to taking the game in 2 sets. However, CIS would not let that happen. They played with the same intensity as us, taking the 2nd set. Our team was exhausted. I was really, really tired, but my adrenaline kept me going. I really wanted to win, and I was willing to do whatever it took to win that game. I went for everyball, as did my other teammates, and I even successfully executed a "pancake." It was a fun game, and the 2nd to the last point, was a block by me and my teammate. I was very proud of myself in that game, and even more proud of my teammates. We won the 3rd set, and WE made it to the finals. CIS were very nice and congratulated us, and promised to cheer for us in the finals. I felt honored to have played with them.
At around 7.30, we started warming up for the final game against Baguio. Most of my teammates showed symptoms of sore eyes, and I was really worried for our libero. We gathered as a team, and talked about our strategies, prayed together, and visualized what we were going to do in that game. I somehow did not feel so nervous for this game. I felt a lot more nervous in going against CIS. I felt ready for this game. Baguio played their game and took the first set. We were making a lot of errors. Our serves weren't going in. Our spikers were hesitant, and I was making mistakes with my setting as well. We were ready to take the game to the 3rd set, but again we were making the same mistakes, and I myself were making really terrible mistakes in setting. Our team was not going to give up and we continued to play our hearts out, but it was too late. Baguio was gaining confidence as we were making mistakes. Baguio took the game in 2 sets, winning the ISAC championship. Our team was devastated, especially because we knew that we could've played better. We all knew from the start that if we wanted to win this game, we had to push ourselves farther than how we normally played since we were not stronger individuals than Baguio.
Although we lost the championship game, I still felt very proud that we got this far. I was very proud of my teammates, and I was honored to have been led by our coach since without these people we wouldn't have gotten to where we were. This year's team has taught me how to play well under pressure, make wise decisions (think before acting), and has taught me how to handle my emotions (accepting defeat.) I believed that in these 2 and a half months, I have grown as a person, as a teammate, and as a leader which will help me for the rest of my life. I believe that in next year's ISAC Volleyball tournament, I can be a more complete player, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment