Jau Umandal and the Cignal HD Spikers shared in their TV guesting at Gud Morning, Kapatid on News 5 what happened after the Cignal HD Spikers star’s bad fall in Game 2 of their championship series against the Criss Cross King Crunchers.
It was the third set in Game 2 of the championship series between defending champions Cignal HD Spikers and victory-hungry Criss Cross King Crunchers in the 2024 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference.
The two teams were deadlocked at 17 when Cignal’s ace Jau Umandal went for a backrow attack. His leap gave him momentum, yet he crashed into Season MVP Jude Garcia's descending elbow, who had just made an attempt to block his attack on the opposite side of the net.
Umandal faltered and held his head as he fell to the ground, stunned by the force of the hit. The Cignal HD Spikers’ star was taken into a stretcher.
Jau’s steadfast dedication is a symbol of his insatiable hunger for back-to-back championships.
And the HD Spikers did not waste any of his effort and put on a furious rally to win the prestigious title.
In their TV guesting at the morning show “Gud Morning, Kapatid” on News 5, Jau and the rest of the Cignal HD Spikers shared their awesome teamwork after Umandal’s bad fall in the tournament.
“Actually, sobrang nagwo-worry ako kay Jau kasi nakita ko ‘yong nangyari, and biglang pumasok sa utak ko na hindi pwedeng matalo kami ngayong set. Sinabi namin na para kay Jau, na kailangang manalo tayo para kay Jau. Kasi nakita namin ‘yong effort ni Jau [in] the whole game, [in] the whole season. Pinaghirapan niya talaga ‘yong liga. Ngayon dinedicate talaga namin ‘yong buong set na ‘yon para kay Jau,” said co-captain Wendell Miguel.
Right after his injury, Jau received the awesome pampagising—none other than their back-to-back championships.
“No’ng nasa ER [Emergency Room] ako, pinakita sa akin ni [Team Manager] na champion na raw kami. Parang ako, kahit sobrang sakit pa ng ulo ko, nahilo ako, sobrang saya ko. Kahit na gano’n ‘yong nangyari, na-achieve pa rin namin ‘yong goal namin this coming season,” told Jau.
He also said that everything is fine with his medical condition.
“Ngayon naman, okay naman. Negative naman sa lahat ng result,” he added.
What’s next for Jau and the defending champs?
“Tuloy lang din [ako] sa pag-recover para sa national team,” Jau mentioned after becoming a part of the national team roster who will represent the country in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Men on June 2 to 9, 2024, in Bahrain.
ALSO READ: 'Kailangan natin ilaban para kay Jau': How Jau Umandal's grit inspired Cignal towards Spikers' Turf title retention
Watch the full interview here: