Among many Cebuanas playing in the PVL, Galeries Tower’s Dimdim Pacres would’ve hoped to give her hometown crowd something to cheer about in a rare home game during PVL on Tour.
CEBU CITY — The Galeries Tower Highrisers are reeling after they finished the pool phase of PVL on Tour without a win, but their most recent stumble at the hands of the PLDT High Speed Hitters left more of a bitter taste on veteran hitter Dimdim Pacres’ mouth.
Apart from skidding to their fifth straight loss, Pacres rued being unable to show out for the sizeable crowd at the University of San Jose-Recoletos Coliseum on Sunday, especially considering that she grew up in Cebu.
Though many Cebuanas suited up for their respective teams over the weekend, none drew more cheers than the former UST winger.
For Pacres, it was a shame that she didn’t get to give them something more, given the fact that it was her second time to play in front of her hometown crowd with the Highrisers. Nonetheless, she happy for the support.
“Syempre, sobrang nakakatuwa na nakapaglaro ulit, two times na nakapaglaro sa hometown ko sa Cebu. Pero nakaka-disappoint lang kasi yung gusto namin na goal, hindi yun yung nagawa [and] natalo kami,” Pacres told media at the sidelines of the USJ-R Coliseum.
“So siguro, learning pa rin siya sa amin. But, yun nga, sobrang nakakatuwa lang kasi yung mga tao dito, yung mga fans, parang sila din yung nagiging boost sa amin sa team kahit ganon yung nangyayari,” she added.
[READ: PLDT topples Galeries Tower to complete pool phase sweep of PVL on Tour in Cebu]
Pacres admitted that she was also pleasantly surprised at how the Cebuanos rallied behind her — as cheers grew inside the venue whenever she was given a ball or when she was inserted into the lineup by head coach Lerma Giron.
More than herself, Pacres felt that it was something that helped the team as a whole despite taking the loss.
“Nakakatuwa lang kasi kilala pala nila ako na knowing na taga dito ako. Sobrang nakaka-overwhelm na yun nga, marinig lahat na ganon yung cheer nila para sa team. It’s not just for me, but yung sa team, malaking boost talaga siya,” she said.
At the end of the day, Pacres was able to find solace in the fact that no matter what the result, the important thing was that the City of Cebu was able to watch high level volleyball in their locale.
The former Tigress is hopeful that the exposure inspires more Cebuanos to shoot for their volleyball dreams.
“Ngayon lang kasi na-expose talaga yung volleyball, which is a great opportunity sa mga bata lalo na taga province. Kasi syempre, di naman sila pinupuntahan eh,” said Pacres.
“So ngayon, ito na yung time na mas ma-inspire pa sila na ah okay, kapag tinuloy-tuloy ko pala yung volleyball, eto pala yung mangyayari. Aabot pala ako dito.”
Pacres and the rest of the Highrisers now shift their focus on preparing for a yet-to-be-determined foe in the knockout play-in round of the PVL on Tour.