CASSIE Carballo will always have fond memories of playing for the green-and-white back in high school.
When Carballo, 22, and University of Santo Tomas outworked La Salle in a 25-12, 22-25, 13-25, 25-23, 15-13 comeback victory on Wednesday, the UAAP’s reigning best setter gave a short and sweet description of how it has always felt for her when playing against her almost-college team in the seniors' ranks.
READ: UST's leg up over La Salle in recent history? Pride, says captain Detdet
“Sobrang sarap pa rin sa feeling kasi mga teammates ko pa rin before yung mga nasa La Salle ngayon and super happy lang din to face them,” Carballo said.
Among those ex-teammates she once had at De La Salle-Zobel under now-Far Eastern University head coach Tina Salak are former UAAP MVP Angel Canino, winger Alleiah Malaluan and libero Lyka de Leon.
The special bond they shared as young high school dreamers is one Carballo worked hard to have now that she’s one of the veteran leaders in a rookie-laden Golden Tigresses side this Season 87.
Building such ties on and off the court is one Carballo continues to aspire for.
“Through bonding din outside the court (ever since) kasi alam naman nila na may tiwala ako sa kanila,” said Carballo.
“Nahirapan akong kunin ‘yung rhythm ko rin these past two games kaya sobrang thankful ako sa tiwala na binibigay nila.
“Nireremind ko lang sarili ko na wala ako dito ngayon kung wala silang tiwala sa’kin. ‘Yun ‘yung motivation.”
Puso. Pride. Palaban. Para sa USTe.
From her humble beginnings in Silay, Negros Occidental to her first taste of the metro with a star-studded Zobel team before joining UST, playing with purpose and for the love of the game will always be ingrained in her.
More than ever, she'll be eager to keep that fire within alight as she becomes one of the Golden Tigresses' forerunners in another attempt to finally bring the UAAP women's volleyball crown back to España.
“Puso lang talaga. Iba ‘yung feeling na alam namin ‘yung purpose namin at pinaghuhugutan namin," she said.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
