A former Petro Gazz import put in a good word for the Philippines, which later helped Marina Tushova land in the PVL via the Capital1 Solar Spikers.
The shining star of the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference so far is without a doubt Capital1 import Marina Tushova.
The youthful spiker out of Russia has proven to be a scoring powerhouse for the Solar Spikers, breaking the PVL record twice in 10 days.
Tushova first put the league on notice by breaking Pris Rivera’s two-year record she set with Akari in the 2022 Reinforced Conference, scoring 45 points in Capital1’s thriller of a win over Choco Mucho.
Just nine days later, Marina-mania was in full effect as Tushova broke her own record, this time firing 49 points as the Solar Spikers outlasted the Nxled Chameleons.
It was practically a Capital1 gamble to have Marina play in the PVL, but Tushova seeing action in the Philippines this time almost feels like fate as her first attempt to play here before broke down.
[Related: Marina Tushova the "right choice" as Capital1 nears PVL playoff breakthrough]
“It was my goal to play here. I got an invitation a few years ago, but we didn’t find an agreement between the team,” Tushova said, regarding an earlier chance to come play in the PVL.
“I was looking for a team here, so they [Capital1] found me,” she added.
Before the Philippines, Tushova’s career had her exclusively playing in Europe, mostly in her native Russia.
But while she had aspirations of playing in Asia, a former Petro Gazz import actually helped sway her path into the Philippines and the PVL.
“My friend played here, Olena Lymareva-Flink. She was not one season, she [played] few seasons here, Ukrainian girl,” Tushova revealed.
Marina was referring to Olena Lymareva-Flink, who played with the Angels in 2018 and then with the Army Lady Troopers in 2019, where she won a bronze medal in the Reinforced Conference.
“First of all I want to see Asian competition. I went to her [Olena] and she told me about the Philippines,” Tushova recalled.
“She told me it’s the best fans ever here in the Philippines. She told me a lot of good things, and I said that’s it I want to play here.”
(With reports from Jamie Velasco/One Sports)