FROM hardly saying a word in her first few seasons, Faida Bakanke has made a full turnaround in UAAP Season 88.
The 6-foot-1 opposite hitter used to be the quiet type, content to let her game speak while she learned the ropes of Philippine volleyball.
Now, Bakanke is speaking just as loudly off the court as she does on it.
For the third-year player, the role has grown bigger. So has the responsibility, as she now carries not only her own expectations and FEU’s banner, but also the hopes of the seniors she wants to deliver for.
“It’s about time, also,” Bakanke said after erupting for 14 points in the Tamaraws' straight-sets demolition of University of the East on Wednesday.
READ: FEU charges past woeful UE en route to return to win column
“In my time with FEU, I did not put too much pressure on myself. I take everything step-by-step. When I try, even if it’s not working, I’ll try until [what I do] is working.”
The transition was never going to be seamless.
Faida and Filipino
Language barriers and cultural adjustment were among the early hurdles that came with moving halfway across the world.
She may not speak the same native language or move through things exactly the way her Filipina teammates do, but over the last three years, Bakanke has come to understand the universal language of sport.
Through volleyball, she has learned not only what it means to be a Lady Tamaraw, but also how to grow into someone tougher and braver in a place far from home.
“That’s why I’m calm in the fact that even if I’m not Filipino, the way I talk, it’s still been easy for me to adjust to everything here in the Philippines,” she said.
These days, the one doing most of the talking on the court is finally finding her voice everywhere else, too.
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