Pocari Sweat thirsts for more volley titles

MANILA, Philippines – Winning a Shakey’s V-League championship on its first try only makes Pocari Sweat to train its sights for more titles.

“We know it will not be easy but we will  go for it again,” said Pocari Sweat team manager Eric Ty moments after his team beat Air Force, 29-27, 18-25, 25-21, 25-19, in sudden death to claim the league’s Season 13 Open Conference crown at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City late Monday.

He was referring to the next Shakey’s tournament – the Reinforced Conference – with Pocari Sweat getting a boost from Fil-Am setter Iris Tolenada.

“We have high hopes in the Reinforced Conference,” said Ty.

Tolenada will be joining Open Finals MVP Myla Pablo, Michelle Gumabao, Elaine Kasilag, Gyzelle Sy, Siemens Dadang and Lutgarda Malaluan, who helped deliver the championship for Pocari Sweat.

Before the Reinforced Conference, however, the league holds the Collegiate Conference on July 30 with National U hard-pressed in its bid against a slew of talented teams out to foil its back-to-back title drive.

Coach Tai Bundit of multi-titled Ateneo, who missed the whole of the Open Conference due to previous commitments, is also set to return for Pocari when it shoots for No. 2 in October.

Interim coach Rommel Abella proved that with the right mix and motivation, the Lady Warriors can defy the odds, beating the star-studded BaliPure side in the Final Four, and eventually the Jet Spikers.

“When the team was formed one week before the tournament started, we noticed the bond was formed early. They just clicked though they didn’t do something special in practice,” said Abella.

“The team is not hard to coach. I treat them like my younger sisters and they treat me as an elder brother,” said Abella.

Pocari, then Philips Gold, also benefitted by its decision to jump from the other league to the Shakey’s V-League since it did not only win a title, it also gained television exposure with the league’s recent multi-year partnership with ABS-CBN, which aired all the games live on its free channel ABS CBN Sports and Action Ch. 23.

“It helped us in so many ways,” said Ty.