Ivy Lacsina remains resolute in her bid to give the Nxled Chameleons a fighting chance in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
Holding on to their flickering Final Four hopes, Ivy Lacsina is bent on showing the way for the Nxled Chameleons in the homestretch of the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference preliminaries.
Lacsina showed her resolve on Thursday night when she spearheaded the Chameleons to a straight-set shutout of the beleaguered Strong Group Athletics.
The 24-year-old hotshot delivered a game-high 16 points, keeping the Nxled’s head above water with a 2-5 record, tied at seventh place with the Akari Chargers, the Farm Fresh Foxies, and the Galeries Tower Highrisers.
“Siguro masaya po ako na ganun po 'yung performance. Pero siyempre marami pa po kaming makakalaban na malalakas, so mas magma-matter po sakin is ‘yung manalo po ‘yung team namin ngayon and sa mga susunod po na games,” Lacsina said.
The Chameleons cling to a faint hope of reaching the semifinals. In order to do so, they must win their next four matches – all in straight-set fashion – while hoping for contending teams to lose their remaining games via sweep.
Should Nxled make one strong push, Lacsina believes she has to take charge and lead the way.
Fortunately for her, she has team captain Dani Ravena and Jho Maraguinot, as well as the coaching staff, to give her pointers.
“Siyempre mahabang process po ‘yun e. Hindi naman po kasi siya madali lalo na ‘yung pagle-lead sa isang team. Step by step, tinutulungan po ako ng teammates ko, sila Ate Jho, sina Dani, and siyempre ‘yung coaches ko po,” the former NU product said.
She then continued, “Every game po namin, lalo na po ako shy type po ako. So noong una po talaga, naninibago ako mag-lead, magsalita, ganun. Pero ngayon po natutunan ko na po siya kasi dahil sa tulong ng teammates ko. So madadala ko po ‘yun sa mga susunod na games and kailangan ko rin po siyang matutunan na maging consistent po ako.”
Lacsina is also looking to make amends for her up-and-down performance in the first half of the conference, when a right knee injury hindered her from playing to her full potential.
“So kailangan ko lang po bumawi sa team and sa sarili ko para mas ma-build ko ‘yung confidence ko. Siyempre lahat naman ng laro namin sayang kasi alam ko po na mas kaya po ‘yung team namin,” she said.
Bracing for an uphill climb ahead, Lacsina knows there’s work cut out for Nxled, emphasizing the need to stick to Japanese mentor Taka Minowa’s system.
“Siguro po kailangan talaga ng doble ‘yung pagpe-prepare po namin kasi po strong teams po ‘yung mga susunod naming games. So, babalik nalang po lang kami sa basics at ‘yung mga sistema po ni Coach Taka kasi mas alam po niya kung papaano po kami dapat gumalaw,” she shared.
“So, kailangan lang po namin maging as one para matapos po namin ‘tong season na mas strong kesa sa last conference.”
Before the season started, coach Taka did state that he wants Nxled to at least reach the top six of the current tournament.
Lacsina and the rest of the Chameleons attempt to keep their postseason aspirations alive when they take on the Farm Fresh Foxies on April 9, Tuesday.