Leo Ordiales followed up a forgettable World Championship debut with a standout performance.
During Alas Pilipinas’ FIVB Men’s World Championship debut against Tunisia, it was clear that Leo Ordiales was dealing with first-game jitters.
Thrust into the spotlight as Alas’ lone natural opposite, Ordiales finished with a dismal two points, coupled with nine unforced errors against the Eagles of Carthage. For each ball given by setter Owa Retamar came spikes that went wide as Ordiales struggled to measure the Tunisian defense.
Demoralizing as it was, that horror debut lit a fire within the towering opposite as he poured in 21 huge points in Alas’ historic win against reigning African Champions Egypt to provide ample firepower that complemented another explosive outing from captain Bryan Bagunas.
Crucial to Ordiales’ redemption was the continued trust he received from Retamar, who made it a point to feed him the ball as he did against Tunisia on opening day. Only this time, the towering opposite repaid that trust tenfold from his setter.
From countless spikes that went wide against the Eagles, Ordiales finished with a 19-of-31 attacking clip against the Pharaohs, showcasing a vastly improved composure as he nailed down each ball given to him throughout the landmark win.
“Ayun, sa training pa lang naguusap na kami na sabi nya, ‘Pre, alam kong kayang kaya mo ‘yan, kailangan mo lang uminit. Kasi pag mainit ka, mas madali na ‘yung laro natin’. Ayun nga, salamat din kasi nailabas ko ‘yung inensayo namin,” Ordiales said of his connection with Retamar on Tuesday, September 16.
Later on, Retamar also shared his side of the story, saying, “Yes! Actually pinag-usapan namin ‘yun kagabi na sa kanya magsastart lahat. Pag maganda ‘yung performance niya, napakadali magset as a setter, kasi inaasahan namin si Ordiales na siya talaga ‘yung isa sa magagaling sa team.”
For Ordiales, it was also a matter of easing his veterans’ load on offense, especially with Bagunas doing the heavy lifting for the Nationals and Espejo being a capable option when the going gets rough.
“Sakin naman, inisip ko lang na kailangan ko tulungan ‘yung mga kuya ko, kasi syempre hindi kaya na mga kuya ko lang ‘yung gumagalaw,” he said.
Now that he’s bared his fangs on the world stage, Leo Ordiales will look to author another standout performance for Alas Pilipinas as they gun for a prestigious Round of 16 berth against Iran this Thursday, September 18.
Banner images courtesy of Volleyball World.