After getting the top seed in Group A, Jem Menor of the Perpetual Help Lady Altas is setting the bar high for her team: make it to at least the Final Four of Season 101 of the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament.
“Expect ko po na makakapasok na po kami sa Final Four kasi ‘yun nga po, siyempre pinaghihirapan po namin,” Jem Menor told Rebanse after the Lady Altas survived the Mapua Lady Cardinals in five sets on Sunday. “Expect po talaga namin na makakapasok kami sa Final Four ngayon.”
Jem Menor Notes That Everything Is Earned
As the top seed in Group A, Perpetual will have more time to rest before the playoffs. And as the Lady Altas await their next opponent, the 20-year-old Menor said she and her teammates will be keeping in mind something coach Sandy Rieta has been telling them throughout the tournament: nothing is given, everything is earned.
“Siyempre sobrang saya po sa pakiramdam kasi hindi din po namin expect ‘to, pero ‘yun lang po kasi laging sinasabi ni coach eh, kailangan po namin pag hirapan kasi hindi po ibibigay nang madali ‘yun,” she said. “So, bawat game po namin pinaghihirapan po namin.”
That everything-is-earned mindset seems to be paying off as Perpetual finished the eliminations with 11 wins and 2 losses to top Group A.
Learning from Mistakes
With the knockout stage looming, Jem Menor also told Rebanse that while the team finished with an impressive record, their second round wasn’t as solid as the first as they kept getting pushed to five sets. And the second-year star is hopeful that the Lady Altas won’t make the same mistakes in the knockout stage.
“Actually po kasi parang nabaliktad po ‘yung standing po namin. Kasi noong round one parang 8-0 ata kami or 8-1. Ayun parang natuto na po kami dun so, ngayon hindi na po namin uulitin,” Menor pointed out.
The Lady Altas now await their next opponent, which could be the JRU Lady Bombers, the San Sebastian Lady Stags, or Mapua again.
Last Sunday afternoon, the Mapua Lady Cardinals pushed the Lady Altas to five sets before Menor and Cy Almeniana took over the team’s offense in order to get the victory.
Almeniana had a stellar 28 points and an ace and was backed up by Jem’s 14 points built off 14 attacks.
