AFTER missing out during her rookie year, University of Santo Tomas beach volleyball player Rica Rivera is motivated to make it to the Tigresses' team for the UAAP six-a-side tournament which begins in February.
Rivera bagged the UAAP beach volleyball title last year with Cebuana partner Cherry Rondina, but she failed to play in the indoor tournament due to a right knee injury she suffered a week before the competition.
The 18-year-old couldn't hide her desire to finally make her six-a-side debut for UST when a handful of sportswriters caught up with her during the beach volleyball tournament at SM Sands by the Bay.
“Sobrang motivated ako na makapaglaro, confident rin ako sa katawan ko and fully recovered na ako sa injury ko,” said Rivera.
But before the six-a-side tournament, Rivera's immediate business is the beach competition where the Tigresses face still competition in their title defense.
Rivera and Rondina's biggest test comes on Friday with an 11 a.m. game against the Ateneo pair of Bea Tan and Alyssa Valdez, who is making her comeback in the beach volley event.
Rivera, however, is unfazed.
“Veteran player siya pero hindi ko na lang iniisip, lahat naman ng teams malalakas ngayon compared sa last year,” she said. “Ang sa akin lang ibibigay ko ang 100 percent ko all out na ako.”
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