Baron Faces Past PVL Sisters: “I Know Their Heart for the Game”
Majoy Baron carries a map of memories into every match; each practice, each play, and every service ace are marked with lines that trace back to college locker rooms and shared dreams. The phrase — “I know their heart for the game” — sits at the center of that map, guiding how she remembers teammates and steadies herself before tipoff.
Facing former PVL sisters in the Finals is not merely a tactical puzzle for Baron; it is an emotional junction where respect, rivalry, and responsibility meet on the court.
The Ties That Bind: Respect, History, and Resolve
Majoy does not cloak the familiarity; she names it and uses it. “I’m very happy at the same time proud na sila makakalaban namin sa finals. I know their heart for the game and I know they’re also working hard to get a championship.”
“I’m looking forward sa intensity ng magiging game since ang tagal na nung last championship match na nalaro namin,” Baron added.
Those words land like a volley—warm, precise, and honest. Knowing how those former teammates think, compete, and respond under pressure gives her team an emotional intelligence that goes beyond video scouting.
When asked whether Majoy could’ve predicted this scenario a few years back when she still shares the same court as Tyang Aby Maraño and Ara Galang of the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, she answers with a tenderness threaded through the competitiveness.
“I’ve actually never imagined na magkakahiwalay kami as teammates pero life had other plans.”
Majoy reminisced the sisterhood she shared with these equally talented athletes whom she's been with not only through her pro journey in the PVL but ever since they were working hard to be standouts of the DLSU Lady Spikers program of Coach Ramil de Jesus.
Despite the brief throwback, Baron reinforced her professionalism and reminded ALL-STAR what she is set to do in the PVL On Tour Finals.
“Right now I just need to set aside the past and focus sa mission namin as a team. We’ve prepared hard for this season and we want to get our goal regardless sino makalaro namin.”
Here is a player who acknowledges the unpredictability of sport and life, and who refuses to let nostalgia derail a present mission. The historical bond becomes a tool: it sharpens focus, clarifies priorities, and deepens the meaning of every practice drill the High Speed Hitters run.
Knowing someone’s tendencies is one thing; knowing their character is another. That knowledge shapes in-game choices for PLDT— subtle shifts in positioning, timed substitutions, and the psychological work of staying composed when the match tilts.
It is not about exploiting friendship, rather it is about matching familiarity with a strategy that respects the opponent’s grit.
On Sunday, a narrative arises: younger teammates watch how Baron conducts herself against familiar faces and learn a model of competitive grace. They learn how she positions herself as a player who has already navigated the emotional complexity of facing former sisters.
The same goes for players like Kim Fajardo, Mika Reyes, and Kianna Dy who are on the same page. They can only give everything, play with heart, and let the game decide. At the end of the day, when the referees blow their whistles to begin the PVL championship match, what matters will be the same thing that always matters in sport: who wants it more.
