IT may have taken a full residency year and four games before she started a UAAP match for Adamson, but rookie Barbie Jamili played like a veteran and helped her team beat University of the East, 25-19, 25-19, 26-28, 29-27, in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The soft-spoken Jamili was one of the key players in the victory where she top-scored with 20 points on 18 attacks and two blocks, a career-best in her fledgeling collegiate volleyball journey.
It was a tension-filled game, coming as it did just days after UE's coach, Jerry Yee, was suspended by the UAAP Board for the rest of the season because of what the association said were "acts inconsistent with the league's objectives."
Both teams played hard, perhaps the thought of the controversy percolating at the back of the players' minds. But Adamson proved to be the better team in the end, thanks to the heroics of Jamili, who also gave her veteran teammates credit.
“Nu’ng first set kasi, medyo kinakabahan po talaga ako,” said Jamili. “Iniisip ko po na laban lang, kapit, kasi nandyan naman ‘yung mga teammates mo na lumalaban [at pinaparamdam sa’kin na] ‘di ako nag-iisa."
A product of National University-Nazareth School’s esteemed juniors program, the 5-foot-5 Cebuana hitter had a brief stint with Far Eastern University before joining Adamson.
And for the Adamson faithful who waited for over a year to see Jamili don the blue-and-white, the newest Lady Falcon is overjoyed with the school’s warm reception.
“Hindi po kasi ako nagbabasa [sa social media pero] thank you po sa pagtiwala sa’kin. Sobrang na-aappreciate ko po ‘yun. Sobrang happy po kasi pinagkatiwalaan ako ng Adamson community,” Jamili said.
First test of character
There might have been ‘rookie jitters’ on Jamili’s end but what excited her the most about her first Adamson start were the neck-to-neck battles in the two closely fought closing sets which went to extra points.
“[Na-eexcite po ako kapag] ‘yung dikitan po [‘yung laro] kasi nakakakaba po and dun ka po talaga macha-challenge at saka ‘yung character mo [nasusubukan].
“[Pero] nandito lang po ako lagi para sa mga ate (veteran teammates) ko. Ready naman po ako pumasok [lalo na sa] crucial moments,” said Jamili.
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