KAT Tolentino signed off as a Lady Eagle in her speech after winning the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball championship late Saturday night at the Church of the Gesu in Ateneo.
After winning her first UAAP title since debuting in 2017, Tolentino expressed her uncertainty for next year’s Lady Eagles’ title-retention bid right after their three-set victory over University of Santo Tomas in Game 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
But, the 6-foot-3 wing spiker, suprisingly, signed off after her thank you speech.
“I just want to say how blessed and thankful I am to God that Im not just an athlete who had three ACL injuries,” Tolentino expressed. “But I am fine by saying that I’m an athlete with three ACL injuries, one absolutely unforgettable championship, and one Ateneo family forever.”
“This is Kat Tolentino number 10 signing off,” concluded the season’s Best Opposite Spiker, who consistently led the way for Ateneo in the Finals averaging 12.7 points in the series capped by a 15-point eruption in Game 3.
With Tolentino likely ending her UAAP career, Ateneo head coach Oliver Almadro lost his go-to-scorer together with co-captains Bea De Leon and Maddie Madayag as well as libero Kim Gequillana.
Although, Almadro, the team and fans are still hoping that the Fil-Canadian hitter will have a change of heart.
But the Ateneo coach will respect the decision of Tolentino.
“It’s not for me, it’s hers kasi ang importante diyan share your blessings, share your talents kaya sila heroes of faith and hope she will share it more but I’m still waiting and I will be patient,” Almadro said. “Irerespeto ko naman kung ano yung desisyon niya.”
Tolentino had three torn ACL injuries in a span of three years, sustaining the first two in Vancouver Canada both on her left knee in 2013 and 2014.
She was supposed to debut last 2015, Alyssa Valdez’s final season, but suffered a right ACL injury during the warm-ups of Shakey’s V-League Collegiate Conference that sidelined her for another year.
But the 23-year-old didn’t quit and bravely played from 2017, where she made her first Finals appearance, lost to Far Eastern University in 2018 Final Four and had a breakout year this Season 81 and stood out in Ateneo’s league-best 12-2 win-loss record as No.3 in scoring, attacking and blocking with 14.3 points per game, 30.23% attack rate and 0.63 block per set.
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