THEA Gagate has completed a worthwhile wait to a lifelong dream of taking her talents to the pros.
The inaugural PVL Draft’s No. 1 pick made her long-awaited league debut in the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference on Thursday, firing 13 points in ZUS Coffee's 14-25, 21-25, 25-19, 23-25 loss to Akari.
Just the chance alone to suit up in the PVL for the first time was one she’ll never forget.
“Super happy lang ako na finally, dumating na ‘tong day na ‘to and excited lang talaga ako sa upcoming games namin sa bago kong team,” Gagate said.
“Meron talagang ganung weight [on my shoulders], pero I just think of it in a positive way na hindi ako ma-pressure sa kakayanan ko.
“Alam ko rin naman ‘yung kakayahan ko and alam ko rin na may tiwala ako sa team namin na kaya namin makapanalo ng games — one game at a time.”
Opening up the (Ga)gates
At 24 years old, the 6-foot-2 defender had herself a meteoric rise in having won the UAAP’s best middle blocker nod in all three seasons she played for La Salle topped by the Season 85 championship.
Despite a failed title-retention bid in what became an early end to Gagate’s college career, two huge doors would then open: Alas Pilipinas and the PVL.
The former Taft tower made her national team debut a month after being drafted first overall by ZUS Coffee.
Her Alas debut, one where she copped the Southeast Asian (SEA) V.League best middle blocker plum, held her PVL debut back by four months.
Overwhelming, to say the least, but Gagate wouldn’t have had it any other way.
As she put it, “‘Yung nangyari kasi from college, we came from a loss tapos biglang I didn’t really expect na may national team, so parang nakaka-overwhelm."
“Umabot talaga sa point na ‘di ko alam gagawin ko, but then I just trusted kung anong ibibigay sa akin ni Lord. ‘Di ko rin naman in-expect na maganda ‘yung result namin du’n.
“At the same time, masaya naman ako kasi ang dami ko talagang natutunan sa national team and malaking bagay ‘yun sa akin especially now coming in sa PVL.”
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