Hard to disagree with him.
What a difference a year can make.
When Dante Alinsunurin was named coach of the Choco Mucho Flying Titans last January, the squad was seemingly stuck in seventh place in the PVL. Despite the talent-laden roster—a collection of former collegiate stars—the Flying Titans couldn't, well, fly.
But now, with Alinsunurin at the helm, he steered them to the ultimate round of the PVL Second All-Fillipino Conference, highlighted by an impressive 10-game winning streak in the elimination round.
Unfortunately for them, they dropped Game 1 of their best-of-three finals against the Creamline Cool Smashers on Thursday, 25-23, 19-25, 26-24, 25-22, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
They knew that they would be in for a tough fight against the powerhouse unit, which they haven't beaten in all of their 10 match-ups. Alinsunurin said they were able to handle the pressure but just fell short.
"Kinapos lang sa third set kasi kulang talaga kami sa tao pagdating sa ganung sitwasyon. Pero sabi ko nga, kasama 'to sa finals. Wala namang dahilanan. Thankful pa rin ako sa performance namin," said the former men's national team coach after the game.
He credited Creamline, still undefeated in 14 games, for another fine display. But he also made a bold claim, which spoke a lot about Choco Mucho's mindset the entire conference.
"Kami 'yung challenger dito, matagal na sila (Creamline) sa taas. Kami 'yung nagta-try na abutin sila o mapantayan. Sa tingin ko naman medyo malapit na rin kami," said Alinsunurin. "Kailangan lang talaga i-maximize kung anong meron kami, (tignan) kung ano pa ang mga kailangan gawin. Siyempre, mas sanay na 'yung Creamline sa ganitong laro."
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The Flying Titans, who had 13 blocks in the match, were actually ahead in the third set. But the Cool Smashers, behind the inimitable Alyssa Valdez, mounted a late surge to steal the win, giving them enough momentum to seal the deal in the fourth frame.
While Alinsunurin admitted that it was frustrating to see them squander crucial chances, he remained unfazed heading into Game 2.
"That's part of the game. Kailangan namin tanggapin kung ano nangyari sa'min. Para tomorrow, bago na ulit, bagong mindset kung anong adjustments 'yung dapat gawin," stressed Alinsunurin.
After all, they've been here before. Just a few days ago, to be exact. The Flying Titans also dropped Game 1 of their best-of-three semifinals against the Cignal HD Spikers. But they quickly regrouped to take the series.
"Same lang ulit. Alam namin na hindi ibibigay ng Creamline nang madali ito. Kailangan pagtrabahuhan," said Alinsunurin. "Marami kaming natutunan today. 'Yun lang naman 'yung gusto namin lagi mangyari. Lagi kaming natututo sa ginagawa namin, every training, every game, para gumanda nang gumanda 'yung laro namin."
Game 2 of the finals is set this Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Catch it live at 6 p.m. on One Sports, One Sports+, and the Pilipinas Live app.
(With reports from Jamie Velasco, One Sports Digital)