BY Andrei Barrantes
AS far as UAAP debuts go, very few can be considered more difficult than a five-set match, which is exactly what the University of the Philippines rookie Kianne Olango had to overcome in her unveiling as a Fighting Maroon, Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Nevertheless, the former NU-Nazareth School standout powered through with 15 points, built on 11 attacks and four blocks to help State U fend off off UE’s attempt at a 'never say die' comeback.
READ: UP braves through five-set scare from 11-player UE
But behind that strong showing, the 19 year old still felt the usual butterflies in the stomach, with this being her first go-around in the college level.
“Sa first game ko po talaga, naramdaman ko po ‘yung kaba. Kasi iba ‘yung venue na ganitong kalaki, tapos madaming audience," she said.
"Sa mga next games, kailangan ko po maging matapang at matalino.”
The spikers from Diliman startled their opponents in red-and-white with an 18-25 masterclass in the first set which saw them feast at the nets with seven blocks, while also forcing nine errors.
Unfortunately, they struggled to put their foot on the gas, just narrowly escaping the second set and giving away the next two to a brave Lady Warriors squad.
Their complacency boiled over in the fourth set, as UP racked up 14 errors in a 13-25 blowout.
Despite the momentum swinging against them, Olango and the Fighting Maroons corrected course in time to clinch their first victory and already tie their win total from each of the previous two seasons.
Kianne in the collegiate level
Just like many before her, Olango found out firsthand how the women's division is on a whole other level than her glory days with the Lady Bullpups.
“Sobrang ibang level po talaga. Dapat in-game, may adjustments ka na dapat na gagawin. Tapos parang nilamig po talaga ako sa loob ng court kasi first time ko po maglaro sa MOA,” she added.
Even more, by the time a UE reverse-sweep seemed nearer and nearer, both teams in the season's opening game were treated to an engaged crowd that fed into the back-and-forth battle.
But for the rookie, any outside noise—even cheers—should stay off the court and far and away from the team's minds.
As she put it, “Parang nakaka-hype po talaga yung may support from the crowd, pero ang pinaka-important, yung magfo-focus ka po talaga sa loob ng court. Wala kang ibang pakikinggan kung hindi yung teammates mo pati coaches.”
While not necessarily a statement win, this triumphant season-opener is nonetheless a step in the right direction for a team that placed dead last from a season ago.
And once Olango settles all her nerves and gets into her groove, who knows just exactly how far she can propel a UP side hoping to pull off more than a few surprises.
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