A Week Full of Surprises in Proliga 2024

The 2024 Proliga was marked by the defeat of Megawati Hangestri et al and the surprise of Jakarta Garuda Jaya. Will it happen again in the second week?

KOMPAS/REBIYYAH SALASAH

Jakarta BIN player, Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi, is preparing to serve in the first week match of Proliga 2024 against Bandung bjb Tandamata at Amongrogo Indoor Stadium, Yogyakarta, on Saturday (27/4/2024).

The first week of Proliga 2024 at GOR Amongrogo, Yogyakarta, finished on April 28. Various surprises colored the Indonesian professional volleyball league, from the defeat of the "super team" to the glory of a team filled with young players. Competitive matches add to the appeal of the Proliga which will enter its second week starting Thursday (2/5/2024).

One of the surprises came from the women's match between Jakarta BIN and Bandung bjb Tandamata. In the match on Saturday (27/4/2024), Jakarta BIN suffered its first defeat with a score of 1-3 (27-29, 25-16, 17-25, 18-25).

The match result was not surprising considering that Bandung bjb Tandamata has been the champion of Proliga for the past two seasons. However, Jakarta BIN is a strong title contender team. In fact, this team formed by BIN (National Intelligence Agency) is touted as a "super team" because they have an impressive squad and are predicted to hinder bjb Tandamata from achieving three consecutive titles.

Also read: Lavani reaps victory, Megawati refuses to appear

Jakarta BIN has the arrival of a rising player, Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi. After completing the 2023-2024 Korean Volleyball League with Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks, Megawati returned to Proliga with the mission of winning her first title since her debut season in 2015.

In addition to Megawati, Jakarta's National Intelligence Agency (BIN) is also strengthened by other national team players, namely Wilda Siti Nurfadhilah Sugandi, Ratri Wulandari, and Nandita Ayu Salsabila. There are also Myrasuci Indriani and Arneta Putri Amelian. With these names, Jakarta's BIN is already like a mini national women's volleyball team.

Jakarta's BIN also has a "luxurious" coaching team. The former coach of the Thailand national volleyball team, Danai Sriwacharamaytakul, serves as the head coach. The man who brought four gold medals at the SEA Games and silver and bronze medals at the Asian Games for Thailand is assisted by big names as assistant coaches.

Also read: Time for the 2024 Pro League to Take Advantage of Volleyball Enthusiasm

They are Octavian, former Jakarta BIN Coach in Proliga 2023, then Labib who is a coach of Megawati-based club, Bank Jatim. In addition, there is also Robbi Meliala who is a former assistant coach of the women's national team.

KOMPAS/REBIYYAH SALASAH

Head Coach of Jakarta BIN, Danai Sriwacharamaytakul, gave instructions to his team during the first week of Proliga 2024 against Bandung bjb Tandamata at GOR Amongrogo, Yogyakarta, on Saturday (27/4/2024).

"Actually, Wilda, Ratri and Mega are all sick, they dropped out. Mega is the worst," said Octavian regarding one of the reasons why Jakarta BIN couldn't perform to their maximum potential against bjb Tandamata.

The Jakarta BIN players seemed to have run out of fuel in the last two sets. However, they managed to force a tight match in the first and second sets against a team led by former coach Megawati and her friends in the national women's team, Alim Suseno.

Therefore, according to Octavian, Jakarta BIN will focus on restoring the physical condition of its players in preparation for the second series, including the recovery of Megawati. This player from Jember, East Java, is sick due to exhaustion from a packed schedule after Eid al-Fitr. She was absent when Jakarta BIN won against Jakarta Livin Mandiri in the first match on Thursday (25/4/2024).

Also read: Proliga 2024, Opened by Megawati's "Megatron" Action and Colored by Jakarta Garuda

KOMPAS/REBIYYAH SALASAH

The Jakarta BIN players, including Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi, celebrated their success in scoring points during the first week of the Proliga 2024 match against Bandung bjb Tandamata at GOR Amongrogo, Yogyakarta, on Saturday (27/4/2024).

Fighting against bjb Tandamata, Megawati was still fielded despite not fully recovered. In her sick condition, she contributed the most points (15 points) after the American foreign player, Kashauna Williams (20 points).

The light of young players

Another surprise came from Jakarta Garuda Jaya which was inhabited by men's U-20 national team players. This team, with an average squad age of 18 years, was able to match the game of the defending champion, Jakarta Lavani Allo Bank Electric, in the opening match, Thursday (25/4/2024). Even though they ended up losing 0-3 (16-25, 22-25, 20-25), Garuda Jaya was able to make things difficult for Lavani.

At the end of the match, the Garuda Jaya players showed their respect for their opponents. They didn't just shake hands with their senior counterparts, but also put their opponent's hand on their nose or forehead, like when a child greets their parents. However, on the field, there was no sign of awkwardness or fear in facing their seniors.

In the second set, for example, Garuda Jaya was able to catch up to Lavani's score when the score was 14-18, 15-19, and 17-19. Garuda Jaya stole points after demonstrating toughness in defense. The team coached by Li Quijang was able to block Lavani's attacks led by Fahri Septian and foreign player Muhammad Reza Beik. The team was also able to launch attacks that Lavani found difficult to block.

See also: Jakarta Lavani Allo Bank Wins 2023 PLN Mobile Proliga Volleyball League

One of Garuda Jaya's deadly attacks was created by the team's youngest player, Fauzan Nibras (15). This player, who is 189 cm tall and has a vertical jump of 320 cm, scored a total of 12 points, the most on the team. By spikeusing his left hand, Nibras helped Garuda Jaya balance the game.

DOKUMENTASI PBVSI

Jakarta Garuda Jaya player, Fauzan Nibras, did a spike when facing Lavani Allo Bank Electric in the opening match of the PLN Mobile Proliga 2024 at GOR Amongrogo, Yogyakarta, Thursday (25/4/2024).

”The change from the first set to the second was extraordinary, that was enough for me. Not only because they are able to keep up with the game, but also how they get out of pressure, are confident, and don't shy away from seniors. "Being able to balance in the second and third sets is already good," said Garuda Jaya Manager Loudry Maspaitella.

Loudry feels guilty for having to "throw" these young players into high-level competition. However, it is inevitable that the Indonesian Volleyball Association's central leadership had to create Jakarta Garuda Jaya to overcome the absence of national training centers.

The U-20 national team is being included in Proliga to prepare for the 2024 Asian U-20 Volleyball Championship in Surabaya, East Java on July 23-30. In addition, most of the players from the U-20 national team will also be sent to face the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup in Bahrain on June 2-9, replacing the senior national team. The senior players are unable to compete due to a clash with Proliga.

Also read: Megawati and Gia, from friends in Korea to opponents in Proliga

"(From Lavani), we learned playing techniques and strategies. We also learned how to cope with pressure, for example by celebrating when scoring points, which made us more confident and less nervous," said Nibras, who scored a total of 22 points in two matches.

In another men's sector match, Palembang Bank Sumsel Babel defeated last year's finalist, Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi, on Saturday (27/4/2024). Bank Sumsel Babel won with a score of 3-1 (25-23, 25-22, 26-28, 25-19).

This result is surprising because on paper, Bank Sumsel Babel was defeated by Bhayangkara Presisi. In terms of player composition, Bhayangkara Presisi did not make many changes to the squad that led them to achieve second place in Proliga 2023. Meanwhile, Bank Sumsel Babel overhauled the team and now has a majority of players under the age of 25.

Also read: Palembang Bank Sumsel Babel Relies on Young Players in Proliga 2024

KOMPAS/REBIYYAH SALASAH

Outside hitter Palembang Bank Sumsel Babel, Sigit Ardian, when met at the team launch for the 2024 Proliga in Sentul, Bogor Regency, West Java, Sunday (21/4/2024).

Bank Sumsel Babel's preparations were relatively short, namely less than a month. This is different from Bhayangkara Presisi, which has been preparing since February and is trying out to Japan.

Doubts are evident in Coach Iwan Dedi Setiawan and senior player Sigit Ardian who are hesitant to set high targets in the first week. Moreover, their opponent is the "ruler" of Proliga 2023, namely Bhayangkara Presisi and Lavani.

However, Bank Sumsel was eventually able to silence its own doubts. Sigit "carried" his team to victory. The senior player who has a long history in Proliga scored 20 points, the same as the foreign player from Iran, Armin Afshin.

In the match against Lavani, which ended in a 0-3 defeat (24-26, 23-25, 19-25), Sigit once again scored the most points. The player who helped the Indonesian men's volleyball team win gold medals at the 2019 Philippines SEA Games and the 2021 Hanoi SEA Games scored 13 points.

Also read: Persistence Strengthens Jakarta Lavani as Defending Champion

Meanwhile, the victory against Bank Sumsel propelled Lavani to sweep the victories and top the standings in the first week. Together with Jakarta STIN BIN, the team coached by Cuba native Nicolas Ernesto Vives collected six points and won in three sets in two matches. However, Lavani excelled in points ratio.

2024 Proliga standings after the first week in Yogyakarta, 25-28 April.

In the women's sector, Jakarta Pertamina Enduro had the best results among the five teams who played twice in the first week. The team, bolstered by Megawati's former Red Sparks teammate Giovanna "Gia" Milana, won two victories to take them to the top of the standings.

The second week of the 2024 Proliga at GOR Jatidiri, Semarang, Central Java, on May 2-5, the bjb Tandamata versus Gresik Petrokimia Pupuk Indonesia match will open. From the men's sector, Lavani will play a big match against STIN BIN.

With competitive matches in the first week, it's worth looking forward to the competition in the second week of Proliga 2024. Will there be any surprises again?