Trust and confidence can go a long way. From playmaker to playmaker, coach Sherwin Meneses knew exactly what Kyle Negrito needed to shine as the Creamline Cool Smashers' setter.
525,600 minutes. 525,000 moments so dear. One Sports is using this season of love to celebrate all kinds beautiful relationships--romantic, platonic, and what have you--with the mini-series Match Point. Where better to start than The Heart of Volleyball?
Today, we explore a platonic connection between a coach and a player, setter to setter.
As soon as Kyle Negrito took home her first Finals MVP award during the 2024 PVL Invitational Conference, the star setter--with tears running down her eyes--immediately thanked coach Sherwin Meneses.
Amid all the criticisms that came her way, Negrito stayed true to Creamline’s system and guided the Cool Smashers to a historic grand slam run.
The former FEU standout owed her success to none other than Meneses, who helped Negrito to take on the main setter role for Creamline following the departure of Jia De Guzman to Japan.
“Si coach She kasi siguro kaya sobrang thankful rin ako sa kanya [kasi] grabe 'yung guidance niya sa akin, grabe din 'yung tiwala niya sa akin,” Negrito told One Sports. “Hinahayaan niya ako mag-laro palagi, hinahayaan niya ako na dumiskarte ng sarili ko pero nandiyan pa rin talaga 'yung guidance niya.”
While the 28-year-old setter had ups and downs with the Cool Smashers, she said Meneses never wavered in his support and guidance.
“Kahit kelan hindi niya ako pinaramdam sakin na hindi niya ako pinressure. Talagang pag nagkakamali ako, talagang sinasabi niya na sige okay lang,” said Negrito. “Kaya grabe rin talaga 'yungpasalamat ko kay coach She kasi siya talaga 'yung nag-tiyaga sa akin and nag-guide talaga sa akin.”
A former setter himself, Meneses knew exactly what Negrito needed.
“Wala namang pressure na binigay kay Kyle. Ang Creamline naman talaga, ang ano lang is everyday na ma-improve. So, 'yun 'yung number one sa Creamline. So, ma-improve everyday, so si Kyle nag-dodouble time and sobrang nag-improve din siya talaga,” Meneses bared.
The confidence given to Negrito paid off, as she blossomed into one of the top and most consistent playmakers in the PVL.
For Kyle, it all starts with their training, where she gets to familiarize herself with her talented spikers.
“'Yung pasensya na sakin and 'yung guidance niya. Lagi naman niyang sinasabi sakin na kahit kanino ko ibigay 'yung bola,” Negrito shared. “Sobrang thankful din ako sa spikers ko na talagang bukod sa pasensiya ni coach and sa guidance, pati 'yung mga spikers ko ay kumbaga, 'Itaas mo lang.'”
“Sinasabi rin ni coach She, perfect set? 'Di baleng perfect set, tumaas ng onti, bumaba ng konti, okay lang 'yan. 'Yun 'yung lagi niya saking sinasabi kaya laking tulong rin talaga sa confidence,” she added.
For his part, Meneses has always known that Negrito is a special talent, given the effort she did during training to keep up with De Guzman.
“Knowing Kyle, 'yung pagpasok na niya sa Creamline, talaga namang talented na. With Jia, kahit nasa bench siya talagang double time talaga 'yung ginagawa niya and binigay sa kanyang opportunity na ipasok, laging nag-dedeliver 'yan, especially nung nawala si Jia, talagang nag-double time siya,” said Meneses.
“Lahat ng pressure nilabanan niya, so siguro deserve niya 'yung time na talagang siya na 'yung nag-titimon sa team namin. Deserve niya 'yung mga games na panalo talaga. Sobrang sipag niya din talaga,” he added.
As she continues to lead Creamline to an unbeaten record so far in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference, Negrito carries with her all the lessons from Meneses.
“Biggest lesson? Hindi ko masasabing like big lesson. Siguro collective lessons like small lessons here and there hanggang sa pinagtagpi-tagpi mo, 'yun talaga 'yung nagiging kabuuan nung game—’yung system namin,” Negrito concluded.
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