F2 hopes tough Pool B games prepared them for semis

MANILA – The F2 Logistics Cargo Movers may have secured a semifinal ticket in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League, but they had to survive multiple tight matches in the tough Pool B to do so.

Just before the quadruple header on Tuesday at Philsports Arena, four of the six teams in Pool B were still in the contention for the two semis berths, having almost identical records. 

And F2 heaved a sigh of relief when they swept the Foton Tornadoes to advance into the next phase of the competition, leaving Choco Mucho Flying Titans, Cignal HD Spikers, and Petro Gazz Angels in limbo for a while.

Cignal would eventually clinch the final semis spot in Pool B after crushing Choco Mucho in straight sets. 

For head coach Regine Diego, she is grateful how the Cargo Movers managed to hold on in the pool matches 

“I’m very grateful and very very happy na this team ay kumapit talaga, talagang nagpakondsiyon and all,” Diego told reporters. 

Diego acknowledged their challenges in the conference but is hopeful that it prepared them for tighter battles in the semifinals which will also feature two foreign teams.

“Nagkaroon kami ng konting problema along the way, so it’s a good preparation for what is coming next, hopefully we learned from the loss, from the mistakes we did before. Hopefully we gain experience for that siguro naging edge yun sa bracket B na nahirapan talaga kami in order for us na machallenge namin yung mga kalaban namin in the future,” she continued. 

The Cargo Movers will try to focus on their physical and mental condition heading to the playoffs, especially the rigid schedule next week. 

“Mas i-prepare ko sila mentally and psychologically kasi alam ko naman na maayos yung conditioning and strength namin may mga baon pa yan. Hopefully wala ng injury kasi ang hirap nun,” Diego said. 

They are also excited to face the Vietnamese and Japanese squads which will gauge the capacity of the Filipino teams so far. 

The semifinals and classification round will begin on Thursday, July 20, at the Philsports Arena.