PLDT's Kath Arado may have put up impressive numbers in the series opener against Petro Gazz, but she still felt she had a lot more to give. The High Speed Hitters lost that game, but Arado knew what she had to do to help turn things around in Game Two.
The libero entered the game with a new mindset. She was determined to receive and dig every ball that came her way, even if it meant diving over the LED boards on the sidelines. This change in attitude helped the High Speed Hitters claim a crucial victory and equalize the series.
Arado's impressive 26 excellent digs and 12 excellent receptions showed just how much her new mindset had helped the team. Her performance was instrumental in their victory, and it has put them on the cusp of their first finals appearance in the PVL.
"In Game One, after the game... Even though I knew our team's performance was bad, I also knew that I had shortcomings," said Arado.
"I really watched the video, the highlights, during our viewing. I really analyzed it and asked myself why I only received a few balls. It's not just because they were avoiding me, but I was also letting my teammates receive or defend."
Arado admitted that she was not satisfied with her performance in the first game and took the time to watch the video and analyze what went wrong. She realized that she had been deferring to her wing spikers at times, which had limited her contributions to the team.
"So that part, my shortcomings as a defense specialist, that's what was on my mind until we arrived at the venue. I will take every ball I can to lessen the pressure on my teammates, especially on the open spikers and wings. They have a really difficult problem because they have to receive, defend, and block, all in one," said Arado, who suffered from cramps during the latter part of the match.
Arado's new mindset was to reduce the pressure on her teammates, especially the open spikers, by doing as much as she could to take care of the defense. She knew that the pressure on the team was high, and the team needed to prove that they were no longer pushovers in the league.
The PLDT team has been working hard to prepare for this conference, and their efforts have not gone unnoticed. Their coach has been reminding them that they are not a team to be taken lightly, and Arado's performance in Game Two shows that they are indeed a force to be reckoned with.
"Actually, we're really happy. And, as the coach always says, the game is not over yet, so it's always on our minds that we're not just a team that can be defeated easily. We're really fighting and we believe that we can finish as the winners," said Arado.
