Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, a seasoned volleyball player with 18 years of experience under her belt, is embracing a new challenge this season.
Her new head coach, Oliver Almadro, is asking her to be more vocal on the court. Maizo-Pontillas, who is now in her second year with Petro Gazz, is working on this new aspect of her game and it paid off in their recent game against Choco Mucho.
“Siguro yung sinasabi ni coach [Oliver Almadro] laging maging vocal lang ako sa loob ng court and i-enjoy talaga namin yung bawat laro namin, yung bawat puntos na ginagawa ng bawat isa,” said Maizo-Pontillas.
The former University of Sto. Tomas star led the team with a game-high 19 points, helping Petro Gazz to secure a sweep in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
Maizo-Pontillas acknowledges that her team played well together and contributed to their win. Almadro is grateful for Maizo-Pontillas’ willingness to learn and grow, even after almost two decades in the game. He considers her one of the best and an idol in the sport.
The coach also has a personal goal for Maizo-Pontillas and hopes to achieve it by the end of the season. He believes that her actions speak louder than words, and she is prepared and ready to take on this new challenge.
“I'm happy and thankful kay Nang na nagrerespond siya sa mga dagdag pa kasi alam naman na talented na siya,” said Almadro.
Almadro is also happy to work with a mature team like Petro Gazz, who are open to suggestions and are understanding during high-pressure moments.
The team is constantly growing and evolving, and Almadro feels that he is also learning from them.
