TEAM Choco Mucho suffered its second straight defeat in the 21st Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship on Saturday at the Terminal 21 competition hall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand but continued to look at the positive side of things.
“I think we lacked composure individually. That’s what we really need–maturity in the game, on ourselves, as well as working together as a team,” setter Deanna Wong said the 22-25, 18-25, 15-25 loss to Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu.
Last Friday, Choco Mucho dropped an 11-25, 26-28, 17-25 setback to Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima QminC VC.
For a team that trained only two months–much more having been formed a month or two more–the two “Cs,” cohesion and chemistry, are goals that aren’t achieved overnight.
“We would have to improve on these aspects by ourselves every day,” added Wong.
Coach Odjie Mamon said they’ll have to work more on becoming a cohesive team and on how to ride momentum every time it presents itself.
“It was quite disappointing that we can play good touches in defense but cannot convert in offense,” Mamon said. “For now, we really have to work on the team’s cohesion and making their teamwork really come out in the game.”
Choco Mucho’s blocking was solid behind middles Ria Meneses and national team debutant Dell Palomata, both defending the fort against the taller Kazahks in the first two sets.
The Filipinas, however, lost steam in the third set as Zhetysu delivered a more solid offensive and defensive game to hammer out the straight sets romp.
