IF University of Santo Tomas had long been playing with graduating captain Detdet Pepito in its heart, National U stepped onto the Araneta Coliseum taraflex on Saturday with an inspiration of its own: Lams Lamina.
The seasoned setter, down to her last year with the Lady Bulldogs, was staring at the possibility of possibly playing her last match in blue-and-gold in the UAAP Season 88 stepladder.
So NU skipper Vange Alinsug went out of her way to make sure it wasn't all over just yet.
“Actually, kagabi pa lang, sinabi ko, hindi ito last game ni ate Lams sa UAAP," Alinsug told SPIN.ph after scoring 18 points, 10 coming in the contest-closing fourth set.
READ: NU sets up another title duel vs DLSU, sends off Pepito's UST
"Buti binigyan pa kami ng pagkakataon ni Lord."
As her Set 4 takeover showed, the reigning co-Finals MVP left it all out on the floor, walking her talk the night before during their practice where she set the tone not just for herself, but all of the Lady Bulldogs.
This wasn’t going to be Lamina’s last game. Not if she and each and every one of them could help it.
“Of course, kasi last (year) na rin talaga niya. Wala nang next year pa,” she added.
That reality loomed over them in every set, every rally, every huddle, every timeout, and even every breath.
All-out Alinsug
When National U dropped the first set of the knockout bout, it could have easily felt like the beginning of the end.
Clearly, that wasn't true for the gold-and-blue who were playing for something and someone bigger.
“Siguro, meron kaming sakit na parang first set, nagwa-warm up. Ginagawa namin ‘yun na warm up,” Alinsug said, brushing off the early stumble.
“First set pa lang, aggressive talaga sila (UST) eh. Kaya kailangan talaga namin maging consistent.”
Consistency steadied the Lady Bulldogs in the end, but it was purpose that started them back on the right track.
Because as the match tightened, as momentum began to hang in the balance, their veteran outside spiker didn’t just wait for things to fall into place.
Instead, she stepped up to the plate and took over, scoring all but three of NU's last nine points to seal the deal.
“Ang dami naming pinagdaanan sa first round, sa second round and actually, sa buong taon. Binigay sa amin ni Lord yung chance na ito para maipanalo,” she said, after also adding 15 excellent receptions and seven digs.
Still, Alinsug made it clear it was never about her owning the moment. Rather, it was preserving this moment - and hoping to make many more after it.
All to give Lamina one more game, one more chance, one more chapter in a career that’s nearing its final pages.
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