Bedonia gives PLDT boost ahead of quarterfinals
The important thing for PLDT at the moment is for the maturity of its veteran players to rub off on its younger wing spikers.
Kiesha Bedonia got the memo.
Bedonia, one of the team’s young guns, has displayed she has what it takes to help her team when push comes to shove despite being a role player.
And at this stage of the PVL Reinforced Conference, she might just be the boost that the High Speed Hitters need.
“My priority is to deliver for our team,” Bedonia told the Inquirer in Filipino. “I don’t think of anything else like how matured our opponent is or my teammates.”
The 21-year-old hitter unloaded 16 points off the bench for PLDT to send home Choco Mucho, 21-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-19, on Tuesday and at the same time forge a quarterfinal pairing with Chery Tiggo—the team which dealt the High Speed Hitters one of its two losses in this conference.
Bedonia provided PLDT with a shot of youthful energy to support import Elena Samoilenko, who erupted for 30 points to help the team return to its winning ways in time for the upcoming do-or-die games.
“What I just want is to be able to keep up with them and my No. 1 inspiration in every game is the trust given to me by the coaches,” Bedonia added. “I just gave back to them through the way I am playing.”
Coach Rald Ricafort has put together a mix of veterans such as Majoy Baron, Mika Reyes and Kim Fajardo to guide young hitters Fiola Ceballos, Erika Santos and Bedonia.
Fourth at bestBut those experienced cogs are middle blockers, which still leaves the heavy responsibility to the wings—and being able to contribute in crucial games helps boost Bedonia’s confidence.
“[I know that] it’s difficult to trust [newcomers like me] since I have only played two conferences for PLDT [so I was a bit surprised] to be given a [huge] responsibility,” Bedonia said. “So I just accepted it like how the matured players of coach [do] and did not think of anything else.”
“Even in the last conference, [Bedonia] is the one we pull from the bench … she’s the one we immediately think [of when we need an added push]. But I don’t want to give her yet the heavy pressure of starting … she knows her role,” Ricafort said in a separate interview. PLDT has repeatedly encountered setbacks and found it hard to break past the mid-tier. The team’s best finish has been fourth place. But if the young ones continue to strive, that can finally change.
“I will fight until the end,” Bedonia said. “… I don’t care about the pressure and the crowd. I will fight to show everyone what my team can do and how much we want to win.”
