Former De La Salle Lady Spiker Fifi Sharma had an unusual reunion with her seniors from college in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) on Tuesday night, October 17.
Sharma found herself on the opposite side of the court, facing her former teammates and “ates” in La Salle, when she and the Akari Chargers squared off against the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
But she had the last laugh in a swagger-filled match of Lady Spikers alumni in the All-Filipino Conference as they outhustled the Cargo Movers in five sets, 21-25, 25-20, 27-25, 19-25, 15-8, to take their first win in the tournament.
Sharma admitted that she felt a little intimidated at the start of the game, knowing that she would be facing the likes of Aby Maraño, Majoy Baron, Ara Galang, Kim Fajardo, Jolina dela Cruz, and Mars Alba.
But she stayed focused as the match progressed, and had a good debut with 13 points, including five kill blocks. It was her block and ace that iced the match in the fifth frame.
“At first, it was daunting because they’re my seniors and also I know some of the people who are playing on the opposite side of the court. But as time went by, I just focused on the game, not so much on who I was playing against but more on the goal to win,” she said.
Honed in the competitiveness of the UAAP, Sharma did not show nerves in the thrilling five-setter, sharing that she likes playing in pressure-filled matches.
“I think I really like playing under pressure, especially when I’m put in a position where I need to deliver. My mindset was just focus, [get] back to basics, breathe, stay in the present, don’t overthink things, just play your game and that has always worked for me,” Sharma continued.
Indeed, everything worked, according to Sharma’s plan, as she set a good tone for her first conference in the pro ranks.
“For this first game, my mindset was actually to give my all — I mean give my all in all the games. This first game is especially important to me because I think this will set the tone for the whole conference, kasi we’ve made our mark and we made our statement,” she added. (ABS-CBN News)