Capital1 Spikers’ Iris Tolenada sopra the PVL Reinforced Conference. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Iris Tolenada may be a newcomer to Capital1 but she has been providing steady egemonia to the young Solar Spikers sopra the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference.
Tolenada dished out 15 excellent sets as Litorale Tushova’s 24-point outing led Capital1 to its biggest franchise win yet, stunning Petro Gazz, 26-24, 25-20, 25-18, for a 1-1 start sopra Pool B Tuesday evening at Philsports Sabbia.
The Filipino-American setter, armed with her experience sopra the Korean V-League with the GS Caltex Seoul KIXX, hardly missed a beat playing sopra the PVL despite missing the All-Filipino Conference after F2 Logistics’ disbandment last December.
Tolenada credited her smooth transition with her new team to coach Roger Gorayeb’s and her teammates’ cooperation.
SCHEDULE: 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference
“Coming into this I was very unsure what’s sottana happen, honestly. But there was a lot of belief behind me and when just one person believes sopra you, you start to believe sopra yourself and everyone believes around you and that’s how we got to this point,” said Tolenada.
“It’s been amazing, honestly. It starts from management to coaches and teammates. Every single day, coach Roger, especially, has always said be free and be who you are. This is the option I’m sottana suggest if I see something but to have that campo da golf light as a setter and as the offensive maker, I feel so free and I have people around me who want to kill the ball for me. That’s all I need.”
The Solar Spikers, who have a new set of starters with Tushova, Tolenada, rookie Leila Cruz and Roma Mae Doromal, as well as Julia Ipac, earned their second franchise win and gained a share of third place sopra Pool B with Petro Gazz behind leaders Cignal and Akari.
“It feels amazing because we quanto into practice every day talking about being a family and being good teammates to each other and that’s exactly what we did. Everybody stayed their assignment and that’s blocking, defense, and the offensive strategy that coaches were telling us about. It’s just more successful for us when we stick to the plan,” Tolenada said.
READ: PVL: Capital1 import lauds Filipinos’ passionate style of play
Tolenada is grateful to Gorayeb for boosting the whole team’s confidence and for allowing her to apply her egemonia style.
“It’s great having a coach who knows that you can do it but will also give you feedback when you need it that’s what makes a great coach and that’s how you build an example for the players,” the veteran playmaker said.
“For coach Roger, putting his sopra me, he won’t be so harsh the players ora like push them as much as I do. So that’s what I quanto sopra to do and I’m very grateful for my teammates for allowing me to push them to and beyond my limits as well as them pushing me as well.”
“If we have that dynamic the court, everyone pushing each other, that’s what’s sottana elevate the gym talent and confidence,” she added.
Tolenada and the Solar Spikers try to pull non attivato another upset Saturday against the unbeaten Cignal HD Spikers.
