In an unexpected twist during her professional debut with Farm Fresh, former Ateneo standout Pia Ildefonso has gracefully embraced a new role in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference.
As the Foxies faced Petro Gazz, the 5-foot-9 middle blocker found herself substituted as an open spiker in the latter half of the third and final set, contributing two points. Despite Farm Fresh's straight-set loss of 21-25, 29-31, 17-25 against the Angels at the Philsports Arena, Ildefonso remained positive about her performance.
"I was surprised because I was inserted as an open spiker in my position and role earlier," shared Ildefonso. "Surprisingly, and thank God, I did well in terms of hitting and receiving, especially since throughout my entire UAAP career, I never played as an open spiker."
Ildefonso, the daughter of PBA legend Danny Ildefonso, previously represented the Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 85 beach volleyball tournament. However, she opted to skip the indoor tilt to prioritize her mental health. Despite this, she kept the door open for a potential return to indoor play, focusing on beach volleyball to enhance her skills and confidence before making a comeback.
"I never said goodbye or gave up on indoor volleyball. I just took a break for personal reasons and to have a mental break from the indoor scene," Ildefonso explained. "That's why I pursued beach volleyball because I felt like I could express myself more freely in the outdoor setting. Now that I have regained my confidence, I am ready to play indoor volleyball again."
As part of the young Farm Fresh squad in the professional league, Ildefonso acknowledged that their lack of experienced players played a role in their struggles, resulting in a 0-3 record in Pool B.
"We lacked the finishing touch in the end game, like our unity and the fact that we easily gave up. That's what we were really missing," expressed Ildefonso.
Looking ahead, Ildefonso vowed that the team would work harder to secure their franchise's first victory in the PVL. Their next challenge awaits as they face Cignal on Thursday at 6:30 PM, aiming to keep their semifinal dreams alive.
"We will still prepare and nothing will change, it's just another team that we will study and try to defeat. It's like nothing will change, except that we are more eager, of course, coming from a three-game losing streak," Ildefonso concluded with determination.
