MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Jen Nierva knew that Chery Tiggo would have to face a formidable PLDT side with the productive Savi Davison and the Crossovers would have to put up a lot of defense to win.
A defense she was happy to lead.
Article continues after this ad
Armed with a six-page scouting report on the PLDT offense that she wrote herself, Nierva was all over the field on Tuesday, leading a softening of the High Speed Hitters while Chery Tiggo Davison and the previously unscathed High Speed Hitters dealt a 25-12. 25-23, 20-25, 25-22 against Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“I started my day watching PLDT (tapes) and I have six pages of how I’m going to play them today,” Nierva said. “This is something new that I did today that really worked, and I saw that if you study your opponent, if you really read them, it’s really effective.
Glittering numbers
“It was easier to move within the field when you knew how the opponent was going to move,” Nierva added after defending the Crossovers field with 17 outstanding tackles and 16 outstanding receptions.
Article continues after this ad
The Crossovers are also full of effective hitters who consistently took care of the offense, so the defensive specialist knew she had to shine the way she can.
“The last few games I just watched and didn’t write anything down. So I think I received the plan better when I wrote it down,” she told the Inquirer in a separate interview. “On the court, I was able to remember what I wrote better because I also drew where their attacks and serves went.”
It wasn’t anything entirely new for the crack libero, as she recalled having done it before too, saying, “I stopped doing it and just thought about doing it again.”
And it couldn’t have come at a better time as the Crossovers rose to 3-1 to make up for their sacrifices. Given the huge boost it has given the team, Nierva plans to continue the same preparations in the future.
Nierva learned to study her opponents during her time with Alas Pilipinas.
Watch films
“What I want to do now is observe my game and the movements I’m missing, read the opponent better and apply it on the field,” the National University product said. “I saw our videos from Alas where we studied and discussed; It’s different when the coaches provide us with tactics, and it’s different when we teammates provide each other with information.
“Actually, during our warmup, I jumped right into the game and gave them instructions like, ‘These are their tendencies,’ so I think that really helped,” Nierva said.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription was successful.
Cess Robles led Chery Tiggo with 17 points, Ara Galang added 13 points and Shaya Adorador and Pauline Gaston added 11 and 10 points, respectively. INQ