MANILA: Winger Francis Saura earned the Spikers’ Turf Press Corps Player of the Week award for leading the D’Navigators Iloilo to its fourth straight win in the Open Conference of the country’s premier men’s volleyball league organized by Sports Vision.
The 6-foot-5 Saura delivered 10 spikes and five blocks in their 25-16, 25-18, 25-17 win over the Maverick Hard Hitters on Wednesday.
Two days later, he scored 12 points as the D’Navigators survived the VNS Nasty Griffins, 25-20, 25-23, 26-24.
‘Natural lang ‘yun sa athlete na if ever na-bench ka, nakaka-down ‘yun somewhat. Nakaka-down kahit hindi mo naman sabihin. Tinake ko lang ‘tong opportunity na ‘to, noong na first six ako, na ibibigay ko talaga best ko (It’s only natural for an athlete that if you’re benched, it brings you down somewhat. You feel down even if you don’t say it. I just took this opportunity, when I was in the first six, that I will really give my best) no matter what,” Saura, a former National University player, said.
D’Navigators and Ci
gnal share the lead with 4-0 cards.
Saura defeated PGJC-Navy skipper Greg Dolor and Cignal captain JP Bugaoan for the weekly honor deliberated upon by print and online scribes covering the league, which is also streamed live at www.spikersturf.ph.
After switching from a middle blocker to an opposite hitter last year, he tries to find ways to improve his game.
‘Medyo mahirap kasi sa defense. Sa middle blocker kasi, hindi siya masyado dumedepensa, saktuhan lang. Unlike kasi sa opposite spiker, ‘yung depensa kasi sa likod, isa rin ‘yun sa factor na kailangan ko pa i-angat bilang (It’s a bit difficult in defense. A middle blocker doesn’t defend much, just hits. Because unlike the opposite spiker, the defense is behind, that is also one of the factors that I still need to improve as an) opposite spiker,” Saura explained.
As for hitting, he said it is easier to adjust he can be creative with his ‘kills.’
The D’Navigators hope to keep their form when they face the Criss Cross King Crunchers at Paco Arena in Man
ila on Wednesday.
Source: Philippines News Agency