Grethcel Soltones, a former Premier Volleyball League (PVL) MVP, is making a strong comeback in the 2023 PVL All-Filipino Conference with the Petro Gazz Angels.
In their recent match against Cignal, Soltones led her team to a 28-26, 25-18, 25-13 sweep, scoring 14 points, including 13 attacks.
After a disappointing start to the tournament with a loss against Creamline, Petro Gazz head coach Oliver Almadro challenged the 27-year-old outside spiker from Catmon, Cebu, to return to her MVP form this conference. And it seems that Soltones has taken the challenge seriously.
In an interview, Almadro shared how he motivated Soltones to bring back her A-game. He said, "I told Greth, 'Let's bring back prime Grethcel,' and she said, 'Okay, coach, let's work on that.' When she said that, it was beautiful. She's living up to it. I told her to focus on her defense and be patient."
Almadro also added that he specified her role in the team, allowing Soltones to free up and do her job more efficiently. He is happy to see her gradually returning to her peak performance and is hopeful that she will regain her MVP form soon.
For her part, Soltones expressed her gratitude for the trust and confidence that her coach and teammates have in her. She admitted that she is still far from her previous form but is determined to work hard to get there. "I'm very thankful because that's how much they trust me. I used to be their opponent, so I just promised that I wouldn't disappoint them in the role they gave me," Soltones said.
Soltones also shared that she is eager to prove her doubters wrong and show that she deserves the role given to her by Almadro. "My goal is to prove that I deserve where coach put me and to those who didn't believe in me before," she added.
Overall, Soltones' determination to work hard and return to her MVP form is a testament to her dedication to the sport. As the PVL All-Filipino Conference continues, it will be exciting to see how she performs and helps her team reach new heights.
