TOKYO — Jack Kalingking, in his second Southeast Asian Games stint, is pleased to share the job defending the floor with Ricky Marcos, a newcomer for the Philippine volleyball team in the biennial meet.
“Bilang trabaho namin yung floor defense kailangan namin yun pagtulungan,” said Kalingking, part of the Philippine team that placed fifth in the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.
Marcos is pleased with coach Dante Alinsunurin’s decision to allow them to focus on certain plays, with him defending from opponent’s spikes and Kalingking taking care of service reception.
“Maganda yung palitan namin kasi makakafocus ka sa isang bagay lang kunwari siya sa receive lang siya nakafocus,” Marcos said. “Hindi na niya iisipan yung depensa kasi ako naman yung papalit at tulungan lang rin kami kasi kami lang yung dalwang labas pasok.”
The two liberos said they learned a lot from the 16-day training camp in Tokyo as they battled some of the quickest and strongest teams in Japan.
“Sa college life ko, taon taon ko andito kami yung floor defense talaga dito sa Japan sobrang titibay,” said Marcos, the fifth-year National University libero.
“Sabi nga ng mga coaches namin makukunat sila kasi sa kanila may sistema sila sa taas at baba. Ganun yung gusto naming matutunan.”
Kalingking, a former NCAA Best Libero awardee with University of Perpetual Help, agreed: “Pinagaaralan din namin kung paano yung ginagalaw nila para maapply namin sa sarili namin at sa team. Kumbaga nakapattern kami sa blockings, kaya madali lang yung trabaho namin ngayon.”
“Maganda naman yung performance last year kinulang lang kami ngayon siguro yung chance namin. Pero sa final four muna,” he said.
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