THE post-Detdet Pepito era at University of Santo Tomas suddenly does not seem so scary anymore.
UST secured a massive boost for UAAP Season 89 after Reg Jurado decided to have one last go-round, ensuring that the Golden Tigresses’ core will not be depleted just yet following Pepito’s departure.
The 23-year-old opposite hitter’s return keeps a huge chunk of the black-and-gold offensive firepower intact, especially with Angge Poyos also still onboard for when the España side looks to build on its bronze-medal finish in Season 88 under head coach Shaq delos Santos.
At one point, Jurado herself was uncertain if she would still be back.
The veteran spiker was previously weighing whether to maximize her remaining eligibility or finally take the leap to the professional ranks, making her eventual decision a huge sigh of relief for the Golden Tigresses.
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Even outgoing captain Pepito made it clear during their exit interviews that she wanted Jurado to stay, not just as a scorer, but as the team's next leader.
“Actually, nandito. ‘Yung katabi ko, si co-cap,” Pepito answered then when asked about her likely successor as skipper.
Intact, but needing new heart and soul
With Jurado returning, UST maintains much-needed familiarity entering its first full season without Pepito, whose leadership has been its anchor for the past years.
More importantly, it gives Poyos proven help on the offensive end just as fellow hitters Jonna Perdido and Xyza Gula opted to forgo their remaining playing years to enter the upcoming PVL Draft.
With that, the Golden Tigresses will have to replace two veteran spikers whose collegiate careers were defined as much by resilience as by talent.
Both Perdido and Gula saw their UAAP journeys heavily disrupted by injuries, with each missing roughly a full season’s worth of action during separate recovery spells.
Perdido battled back from an ACL injury that sidelined her for Season 86, while Gula likewise endured lengthy injury setbacks that stalled what once looked like a breakout trajectory.
Now, the pair follows Pepito in taking the leap to the pros, as well as former UAAP standouts Niña Ytang and Tin Ubaldo.
For UST, Jurado’s return ensures that the transition into Season 89 will not be a total reset.
But with Perdido and Gula gone, the challenge becomes much steeper, as the Golden Tigresses attempt to preserve both offensive depth and veteran identity moving forward.
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