COACH Tai Bundit lit the fire that led to the late-game explosion of Tots Carlos and helped Creamline to take the opener of its PVL Open Conference semifinal series against Petro Gazz.
Carlos started cold and committed four of the team’s crucial attack errors that allowed the Angels to take control and clinch the first set.
The early struggle kept Carlos on the bench as she played limited minutes in the second and third sets, respectively.
Then came the game-changer. As she watched on the sidelines, Carlos tried to calm herself and meditated, reflecting on Bundit’s popular ‘happy, happy’ mantra.
“Nakita ninyo naman nung first set medyo bumaba yung laro ko. Kinalma ko talaga yung sarili ko, nag-meditation ako, nag-relax ako, composure. Lahat ng puwedeng gawin para kumalma,” admitted Carlos shortly after their come-from-behind five sets victory on Sunday.
Tots Carlos
The ploy worked wonders in the final two sets, with Carlos erupting for eight points in the deciding fifth to put Creamline a win closer to the finals.
“Nung fifth set, ginawa ko lang talaga kung ano yung (dapat). Sobrang saya ko lang talaga pag naglalaro, so yung movement and everything, tuluy-tuloy lang,” said the wing spiker, who finished with 23 points. “Nakakatuwa kasi yung mantra ni coach Tai na happy, happy. Sobrang effective talaga for me.”
“Kapag masaya ka, iba talaga ikikilos mo sa court,” she added.
Carlos knows Petro Gazz, which has been Creamline’s rival since the 2019 season, would find a way to extend the series even as the teams only have less than a 24-hour break at Fort Ilocandia before the next match.
“I’m sure babawi yan. Same pa rin ang mindset of the team lalo na ngayon medyo nahirapan kami,” she said. “Yung mga lapses naming, I’m sure yun yung pag-uusapan namin when we get back to our hotel.”
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