ACADEMIC problems forced him to sit out for a year, but reigning UAAP indoor volleyball Most Valuable Player Mark Gil Alfafara finally returns to the sand this season to help carry UST back to the top.
He said he was raring to go and make an immediate impact on the team without necessarily being overconfident.
“‘Yung mindset ko noon ay babawi ako, hindi ako nakalaro sa beach volley[ball] kaya babawiin ko sa indoor at sa beach volleyball, pero inuna ko pa rin ‘yung studies ko talaga,” the soft-spoken Alfafara said.
Aside from his credentials as a player, he said making the new guys “comfortable” would be another goal.
“Kahit papaano naman, may napatunayan na ako sa beach volley[ball] pero ‘yung sa akin talaga ay matulungan ‘yung mga bago ngayon, maging comfortable sila lalo na bago pa lang sila [sa UAAP],” the 19-year-old veteran said.
After leading UST to a runner-up finish in Season 74, Alfafara had to watch the Tiger Spikers suffer a free fall last year, winning only their opening game against University of the Philippines before losing six straight.
“Sobrang motivation ‘yun, parang sampal na rin sa’kin na nakita ko ‘yung team na natalo dahil hindi ako naging responsible kaya kailangan this year, makabalik na,” the General Santos City native said.
Alfafara believes newly-minted coaches Henry Pecaña and Paul Jan Doloiras, who are young and could execute routines in training, could give the team a huge boost for this season’s campaign.
“Sobrang laki ng tulong nila kasi sila mismo, nagagawa pa nila yung mga tinuturo nila sa amin, sila pa ang nakakalaban namin sa training at ‘yung mga dapat na ginagalaw namin, naipapakita nila exactly,” he said.
“Sobrang ensayo talaga kami, sinusulit namin ‘yung three hours every day sa training at target talaga namin na makabalik sa championship,” the six-foot spiker added.
And Alfafara isn’t bent on just coming back, he will be returning as an “improved” version of himself.
“‘Yung blocking ko na-improve na [at nagamit ko rin yun sa indoor], ‘yung attacking ko mas naging consistent na and although kilala na ako ng ibang teams sa indoor, pagdating sa beach volleyball, nag-iiba parin ‘yung mga galaw ko,” he said.
Despite the disappointing finish last season, the Tiger Spikers will rely on “experience” to redeem themselves.
“Bago rin ‘yung players ng mga kalaban and although wala pang UAAP experience ‘yung mga kasama ko, naka-compete na sila sa Philippine National Games,” Alfafara said.
However, he said that their stiffest competitors will not be strong contenders Far Eastern University and defending champions National University, but themselves.
