Myla Pablo may have struggled in transitioning from an outside hitter to an opposite spiker, but she has taken her new role in stride to help the Petro Gazz Angels in the PVL All-Filipino Conference.
With two formidable outside hitters in Brooke Van Sickle and Jonah Sabete dominating the wings, the Petro Gazz Angels turned to Myla Pablo to pivot into an opposite spiker position.
But having played as an outside spiker for the majority of her career, Pablo found herself grappling with the challenges of adapting to her new role in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
“Sobrang overwhelm lang din ako kay Jonah talaga. Noong nilagay ako ni Coach [Koji Tsuzurabara] sa opposite. Siyempre noong una nahirapan ako mag adjust,” bared the 5-foot-10 veteran, who made a jump from the defunct F2 Logistics back to Petro Gazz in the offseason.
“Mahirap man noong una pero siyempre kailangan mo i-adapt ‘yung bagong position mo.”
The transition required a significant adjustment in Pablo’s approach, particularly as she now shoulders the responsibility of making a substantial impact in blocking coverage.
Despite the challenge ahead, the 30-year-old Tarlac native did not hesitate to tackle the task head-on, drawing strength from the trust of Coach Tsuzurabara and veteran setter Chie Saet.
“Sa training naman talaga wino-workout ko naman sa training kung ano ‘yung mga dapat kong gawin… ang laking bagay din talaga na kahit papaano binibigyan ako ni coach ng chance to play sa loob ng court kahit maliit man lang ang minutes na ibigay, at least nakakatulong din ako sa loob ng court, especially sa blockings,” Pablo shared.
“Kasama ko rin si Mommy Chie sa depensa kaya naguusap lang din kaming dalawa na kapag kailangan kami ni coach sa puntosan, kailangan gumawa rin kami sa loob ng court to help our teammates.”
Pablo struggled, finding herself relegated to a limited role for Petro Gazz in the past nine matches, with five of those outings resulting in scoreless performances.
Still, the former PVL MVP has shown resilience, as she has steadily re-established herself as an integral cog for the Angels, albeit off the bench.
This was most evident on Saturday afternoon, when Pablo delivered as a spark plug with six points, a bulk of which coming in the decisive frame, for Petro Gazz in a straight-set 25-7, 25-21, 25-17 rout of Galeries Tower at the Sta.Rosa Sports Complex.
“Si Coach Koji sobra ‘yung trust niya sa akin sa opposite. Siyempre kung ipasok ka niya sa loob kailangan gumawa ka sa loob ng court pag kailangan din sa puntusan at sa blockings,” Pablo said.
Her contributions helped the Angels soar to atop the standings with an 8-2 record (25 points), vaulting over the Choco Mucho Flying Titans (24 points) and the Creamline Cool Smashers (24 points), both of whom hold identical 8-2 cards.
As Petro Gazz continues its bid for a Final Four berth, Pablo and her teammates are eager to work doubly hard in training to prepare for its final assignment in the elimination round.
“Siyempre since papalapit na ‘yung semis namin kailangan din talaga namin na more training pa kami kung ano magiging adjustments ng coaches namin. And then, ‘yun nga, kung ano ‘yung dapat namin i-training, whether defense or offense, kailangan talaga i-work out talaga sa training before namin dalhin sa game,” Pablo said.
The Angels will have a week of rest before plunging back to action against the win-hungry Nxled Chameleons on April 27, Saturday at the PhilSports Arena.