The Letran Knights will look to continue their unbeaten run in the NCAA Season 101 Women’s Volleyball Tournament later today when they take on the San Beda Lady Red Spikers to kick off semis action.
And as they aim to crown their, so far, flawless season with a title, Letran assistant coach Aleksi Lahteenmaki couldn’t help but laud the team’s improved teamwork and play in the middle.
“When I arrived here, we didn’t have middles, let’s say like that. Our middle was weak, we [had to] work our ass off with our middle, also with the tempo, the setters,” Lahteenmaki told Rebanse in an exclusive interview after Letran beat the San Sebastian Lady Stags in their quarterfinals clash.
True enough, sophomore middle blocker Leonilyn Padilla had arguably the biggest leap in Letran in terms of performance this Season 101, and she showed plenty of it against the Lady Stags by tallying 10 points and 2 blocks.
Lahteenmaki Touts Teamwork, Faster Play, and Mindset
Lahteenmaki also lauded Letran’s terrific teamwork this season, so far, as one of the team’s biggest keys to a flawless run up to this point.
“I think what’s clicking now is our teamwork. So, everybody knows their role, even though we don’t play a lot of middles, but when we play, most of it make points, that’s most important, that’s [what’s] clicking, I think, right now,” he explained.
Indeed, the Lady Knights are clicking right now, and part of the reason this has been the case is the one-game-at-a-time mindset Lahteenmaki has been preaching—a mindset he has helped instill as a first-time assistant coach in Letran. Even so, Lahteenmaki and the rest of the Lady Knights know they can beat anyone and everyone.
“I didn’t change anything with my coaching style, but the players know me now better than [before]. We need to go like one game, then next game, like only concentrate for one game only,” Lahteenmaki pointed out. “We don’t even watch the history now. We know that we are capable to challenge [anyone] and win this season.”
Another game-changer for Letran, according to Lahteenmaki, is that the team is playing at a much faster pace, even mixing backcourt attacks to quicken things up.
“And I think now we play a much faster game than last season [based on] what I heard,” he said. “So, our game is now faster on the sides and also, like I said, the middles. We try to also bring the backcourt attacks, so I think we play much faster than last season.”
Well-Rested Letran Takes on San Beda
After clinching their semis ticket, Lahteenmaki told Rebanse that the next thing on the table for the Lady Knights was to rest and recover before what could very well be the final stretch to a title.
“I don’t even think now about the next games. Now, we need to cover our injuries, small injuries, and [things] like that, and rest,” Lahteenmaki said.
That means San Beda, who punched a semis ticket by repulsing the Mapua Lady Cardinals on Friday, will be facing a tough, talented, and well-rested Letran squad gunning for a championship. The Lady Knights, though, are focused solely on the Lady Red Spikers because that’s the approach Coach Lahteenmaki has instilled.
Letran and San Beda will face off at 12 noon later today.
