GRADUATING Tin Ubaldo won't measure Far Eastern University's seasons by how they ended.
Instead, they'll always be defined by what they demanded of the Lady Tamaraws.
“Fun, kasi I get to play the sport that I love,” Ubaldo shared with SPIN.ph after their season-ending loss to University of Santo Tomas on Saturday. “Pero yun nga, kasama ng fun yung mga sacrifices, hardships, pain, as well.”
READ: UST lives to fight another day after leaving behind FEU
It was balance the Morayta setter learned to live with, as the joy of playing was always there, but so were the burdens she and her teammates had to carry that shaped her more than any stat sheet ever could.
“Sacrifices, hardships, pain, yun talaga yung mag-hone sa’yo,” the setter added. “Magbi-build sa’yo as a player and as an individual. Doon mate-test yung character, yung attitude, personality mo.”
But growth, as Ubaldo experienced it, didn't always come with winning.
In fact, after helping FEU reach the Final Four in Seasons 86 and 87, her final year ended differently.
They fell short of the same stage, a result that could have easily defined the narrative of the senior playmaker's exit - and yet, her decision to use her last playing year will never be something that she'll regret.
“Doon sa one year na yun, doon ko natutunan yung mga important na part ng life,” she said.
“Kapag first, second, third year ka, medyo bata ka pa. Pero 'pag fourth year, fifth year, doon ka talaga mapapatibay. Doon mo malalaman yung mga bagay na hindi mo pa kaya malaman nung bata ka pa.”
Setting sights on the PVL
Now, Ubaldo, wiser than when she first donned the green-and-gold, heads into the next phase of her young career.
Ubaldo is set to enter the PVL Draft, marking her official step toward the professional ranks. The uncertainty remains, but so does the readiness and eagerness built through years of growth.
And whoever selects her come the rookie selection process will be getting a setter well aware that wins are great to be experienced just as much as losses are.
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