FOTON may not be at the top of the standings in the on-going Philippine Super Liga Grand Prix volleyball tournament, a situation that the pair of American imports, returnee Lindsay Stalzer and Kathy Messing, a first-timer here, are looking to remedy and in their last two games.
True enough, the Tornadoes posted back-to-back wins in straight sets against RC Cola and erstwhile pacesetter Cignal to even its record at 3-3, but outside the court, these two are enjoying their stint in the country.
According to the 31-year-old Stalzer, who has been playing in Europe the last eight years, the fact that the volleyball season here is short at around three months maximum, was a major factor for her decision to return.
“In Europe, seasons are long, about 8 to 9 months and at 31, I am not as young as I used to be. Here, it’s shorter and that is one of the attractions for me. Also, here, there is that fun element in playing. In other places, it is a lot of serious work, non-stop training and playing. Filipino fans are also very caring, very welcoming and helpful, they are super-encouraging and it is so easy to gain fans here,” said Stalzer, who has had the opportunity to visit several tourist destinations here.
“I have experienced whale watching in Cebu, visited the Hundred Islands, saw Vigan already, and of course the tiangges in Greenhills. I want to go to Puerto Princesa in Palawan this time,” added the pretty Stalzer.
For Messing, 23, this is her first stint as an import. She specified to her agent that she wanted to play in a tournament, where she will have some fun, too, and having heard that women’s volleyball is a growing sport here, she chose to play here. And just before she left for the Philippines, she bumped into Stalzer in an airport in the States and was surprised to learn and they were going to play for the same team in the same league. Right there, she learned a lot about what to expect in the Superliga, and her new teammate.
“I enjoy the crowd involvement here, fans are very supportive. My teammates are fun to play with, they balance hard work with fun, sometimes they are not serious and we all have fun while training. Like Lindsay, I want to enjoy the outdoors, I want to surf, go up the mountains, see the big whales Lindsay saw, visit places where I can learn local culture. Overall, it is better than I expected here,” said Messing.
Talking about the game, Stalzer describes the level of volleyball here as Division II category in the United States. “Your players have the skills and the work ethics. What they lack is the size. For our team, I expect us to be in the finals with Cignal and Petron as the top opponents.”
“With Petron, we know we can play at their level and we will get them next time. For Cignal, we need to adjust to their strengths and weaknesses, a championship will be a very nice Christmas gift for me,” said Messing, who has been described by teammates as the more fun-loving one. She says given the chance, she would like to play again here in the future.
Both Lindsay and Messing respond to fans on social media, but kidded that they do so “only to those who say nice things,” said Messing.