COACH Vilet Ponce de Leon is hoping to repeat the script of their Grand Prix title run as Foton enters a familiar scene, albeit with a different cast, in their rubber match against F2 Logistics for the Philippine Super Liga All Filipino Conference crown.
Last year, Foton rose from a 0-1 deficit and evened the best-of-three series before it turned back then defending champion Petron in the Grand Prix conference.
"Sa mga old players namin na nandoon sa Grand Prix, siguro sa isip nila 'ito na naman kami, here we go again,'" said Ponce de Leon.
Hard-hitting American spiker Lindsay Stalzer, along with Katie Messing, led locals Jaja Santiago, Patty Orendain, Angeli Araneta and Ivy Perez to a Game Three victory at the expense of Petron, which proved no match even with its triple threat of Rachel Anne Daquis, Aby Maraño and Dindin Santiago-Manabat as well as Brazilian imports Erica Adachi and Rupia Inck.
"We've been here before, done that. All we have to do is think of our opponent, this time kung sino sila, kung ano ang kaya nilang gawin and kung ano ang experience of being in Game Three. Doon na lang siguro mag-bank psychologically ang mga players," she said.
But despite their past experience, Ponce de Leon refused to consider her team as the squad with the upper hand heading into the final game of series.
"Bilog ang bola, pareho kami may advantages and disadvantages so we will just prepare for Game Three," she stressed.
The Foton coach remained wary of their opponent's capability to come back from a loss as she knows that F2 Logistics, led by nine-time UAAP champion coach Ramil de Jesus, won't simply back down.
"I cannot say that (we have the advantage) kasi itong F2 Logistics kilala na pag natalo sila or they've been down, talagang lalaban sila pagbalik," said Ponce de Leon.
"I hope na sa amin, we have that impression na kapag nanalo kami, tuluy-tuloy na," she added. "But we're going to treat this as a fresh game talaga. Both of us have the same advantage eh, it's a winner-take-all."
The winner-take-all Game Three is on Wednesday at The Arena in San Juan at 5:00 p.m.