NATIONAL U in UAAP Season 88 hasn't been as dominant as it had been in its recent dynastic run.
Just in the elimination round, the Lady Bulldogs figured in six five-set games, splitting the results from there.
READ: NU secures second seed thanks to furious fightback against UST
In veteran libero Shaira Jardio's view, those three losses that could've been wins - or even those triumphs that could've turned out otherwise - could be described with one word: multo.
“Parang nagiging multo siya sa’min,” she gamely quipped to SPIN.ph.
But instead of haunting her, those five-setters actually handed out lessons she willingly learned from.
Every tight finish, every close escape, every breakthrough toughened up the blue-and-gold, especially Jardio who tirelessly serves as their defensive anchor.
Now in the playoffs, though, the stakes only get higher - whether matches go the distance or not.
NU faces University of Santo Tomas on Saturday, which it beat in reverse-sweep fashion to end the eliminations, in the second rung of the stepladder, with the victor advancing to a finals showdown with undefeated La Salle.
Good thing then that their 5-foot-2 defensive specialist, who is set to be hailed as Best Libero, just turned in her strongest season yet, averaging 3.96 digs per set and 56.54% excellent receptions in matches.
Much more than her individual milestone, however, it's the moments when these revamped Lady Bulldogs used to falter, but now hold firm that stand out for her.
During those gritty matches, there’s one line she constantly reminds her teammates:
“Ako na bahala sa likod.”
When matches extend and rallies stretch, Jardio becomes National U's constant.
“Sinasabi ko lang sa kanila, tibayan lang nila yung loob nila. Ilaban niyo lang palo niyo kasi nasa likod lang ako lagi,” she said. “Lahat ng palo niyo, cover-an lang namin, babalik lang ulit.”
In short, swing and keep swinging, and she’d take care of the rest.
Backup, front and center
Make no mistake, her steady presence was already there last season, when she even emerged as co-Finals MVP.
This year, though, it has translated into consistency, turning her into one of the league’s most - if not the most - reliable defensive anchors.
Even as her name gets mentioned online alongside established liberos like Dawn Catindig and Denden Revilla, Jardio keeps her focus inward.
“Thankful naman ako sa mga nasasabi nila, pero kailangan talaga magtrabaho lagi,” she said. “Hindi na pwede mag-doubt sa sarili. Kailangan confident lagi every game. Tapos maturity talaga sa loob ng court kung paano ko itrabaho yung role ko.”
Work - hard work, at that - was how she got here in the first place.
Long before the awards and the comparisons, Jardio was just an aspirant from Negros waiting for an opportunity.
Apparently, it was ex-Lady Spiker and former NU-Nazareth School teammate Micah Larroza’s father Michael who set up the Talisay City native over at Jhocson.
Fortunately, she was then coming off a strong Palarong Pambansa stint for Western Visayas when the Lady Bullpups reached out.
From there, she moved to NUNS in Grade 10, entering a system that would shape her game and eventually, her identity.
But staying wasn’t always an easy choice, especially during the pandemic when uncertainty pushed many to leave.
And yet, stay, she did.
“Yung culture sa NU, iba talaga yung alaga. Ayun yung nagpa-stay sa akin,” she said.
That culture has since molded her from a young recruit learning behind veterans to a co-Finals MVP, and now, a superstar from the floor whose whose name is being mentioned alongside the position’s standard-bearers.
She’s no longer just part of the system. She’s one of the players holding it together - through all the five-setters, during this tough title defense, and in the very face of ghosts.
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