IN a span of just nine days, the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) bore witness to its single greatest scoring feat erased not once but twice.
And it took a one-of-one ace in Capital1’s Marina Tushova to raise the league’s scoring bar with her 45-piece against Choco Mucho, and push it even higher after firing 49 vs. Nxled.
READ: Tushova resets PVL scoring record to push Capital1 past Nxled
The 25-year-old Russian spiker is now the first player in the PVL’s seven-year run to have two 40-point games, let alone making it two of the highest scoring performances the league has ever seen.
It may have just been a matter of timing and destiny that Tushova graced Philippine volleyball now, but she was actually supposed to play in the PVL a few years back.
The invitation to play came from a PVL team which Tushova unfortunately couldn’t recall.
Even if her first bid fell through, however, she’d still find a way back to her dream destination and is now blazing her own trail of history six games into her PVL career.
Or better yet, as Tushova put it, ‘they (Capital1) found me.’
Now, Tushova has just led the Solar Spikers to the franchise’s longest win streak at three, seven months since their inception.
Even better, they're now one victory away from securing a playoff spot.
Two choices for Capital1
He might be no stranger to coaching local and international talent of the highest order, but Capital1 head coach Roger Gorayeb admitted how he needed a helping hand in finding his eventual foreign ace.
Gorayeb tapped an unnamed colleague for his recommendation on who’ll best fit the mold for a young Solar Spikers side ahead of just their second-ever PVL campaign.
The veteran mentor shared how he was shown performance videos of two foreign talents, one being Tushova and the other reportedly among the current PVL imports who landed in a different team this conference.
His ‘instincts as a volleyball coach’ made Gorayeb gravitate towards Tushova, one that would then be followed by a rather quick two-day negotiation with her agent.
And although it was a decision that had a few critics at first within his circle, the sharp-witted mentor said how he was willing to put his job on the line just to prove his gambit was the right one.
It was.
“Nu’ng una, siyempre alam mo naman maraming (nagsabi na) ‘Wag yan. Not her. Choose another.’ I have to stick to my gut feeling and instincts as a volleyball coach. I’ll stick (with) her no matter what," he recalled.
“If I lose, magre-resign ako and Marina has proven a lot na I made the right choice.”
How Marina found Manila
Capital1’s unrivaled reinforcement bared how her eventual Philippine stint came as a product of two things: her desire to play in Asia, as well as a good friend of hers who was once a guest import in the PVL.
“First of all, my friend played here, Olena Lymareva-[Flink]. She didn’t just play one season, she had few seasons here," she shared, referring to the Ukrainian import who once suited up for Petro Gazz and now-defunct Pacific Town-Army.
“I wanted to see the Asian competition and then I met her. She told me about the Philippines. She told me these are the best fans ever here in the Philippines. She told me a lot of good things. So that’s it, I wanted to play here."
READ: Tushova reveals injury scare days before breaking her own record
Lo and behold, it’s been the learning experience of a lifetime so far for the Russian trailblazer.
“It’s a great experience, you know? I love to see people, I want to meet new people. This, you can’t learn everyday. It’s so good," she said.
Gorayeb even shared how international offers are already on the table for Tushova after her ongoing PVL stint — which she then confirmed herself.
But as the end doesn’t seem to be too near just yet, the Solar Spikers' shot-caller gave his guest import her flowers for what has been a dominant stint in a league of her own.
“She’s very luck she chose me,” Gorayeb said in jest.
“Like I’ve said before, I would rather see Marina on our side than play against her. Ako mahihirapan. Being a very new team, playing this way, marami siyang nase-share sa mga players natin na locals.
“They see her as a high-intensity player. Worst day, 20 points, worst na ‘yun ah. Then 24, 28, and then 45, 49. Pataas na ‘yun."
Gorayeb added: “When she plays here, many people outside of the Philippines are watching her also, so inii-scout siya so there are offers for her. She has to play pa talaga and hindi naman natatapos dito. She has another country in the future after this.”
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