Volleyball never stopped for these comeback kids.
Despite being a new team, the Gerflor Defenders aim to make noise in the PVL.
The squad, after all, has the experience—led by players on the comeback trail. Among those returning to the forefront of the Philippine volleyball scene are Fhen Emnas and Rapril Aguilar. It’s been a while since they’ve seen action in the professional circuit, and there is that question on how they’ll be able to adapt to the game’s current landscape.
For the former Adamson Lady Falcons standout, the chance to get back into the big stage excites her more than anything else.
“Ako, super excited and thankful. Siguro, mga one year and a half ata ako nag-stop sa PVL,” Emnas said on Monday in an interview on One Sports’ The Game.
Along with the trust given to her by Gerflor, the rejuvenated veteran is coming in ready and prepared for the challenge ahead.
“Hindi ako nag-stop mag-workout [at] magbola pa rin. Hindi naman gano’n kahirap bumalik sa kondisyon kasi hindi ako nag-stop sa papawis,” Emnas divulged.
“I’m pretty much excited na makalaro ulit ‘yung mga magagaling na players natin sa Pilipinas,” she added.
Similar to Emnas, Aguilar is optimistic about her return to the PVL. While she spent one year away from the pro league, she is counting on her cross training to propel her return.
“Hindi rin ako nagpabaya sa sarili ko. Nag-self-training din ako. Aside from that, ‘yung one year na ‘yun, nag-try ako ng ibang [sport], which is ‘yung beach handball."
According to Aguilar, the training methods utilized in beach handball and indoor volleyball have a lot of similarities. As a result, she’s quite confident about her level of conditioning.
"Same lang sila ng footwork and everything so, kumbaga hindi rin ako nag-stop mag-training kung ano ‘yung training sa volleyball.”
Given their enthusiasm, which is nurtured by a highly capable coach in Edgar Barroga, the Defenders might just surprise a lot of teams and fans when they make their pro debut in the PVL Invitational Conference, set to begin on June 27.
(GM)