SIX straight wins to begin the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament matched University of Sto. Tomas’ best start ever from over 14 years ago in Season 73.
That Tigresses squad from 2010, which had volleyball icons Aiza Maizo and Rhea Dimaculangan at the forefront, fell ever so short of the title, losing to the dynastic De La Salle Lady Spikers in the finals.
With the emergence of a new generation of Tigresses, younger and undersized compared to UST teams of recent years, rising stars Angge Poyos, Reg Jurado, and Em Banagua credited how standing on the shoulders of their ‘ates’ Maizo and Dimaculangan paved the way for their roaring start.
“As a player, ginagawa namin silang motivation ngayong season kasi nga good start. Pero sa part namin, ‘di dapat kami magpakampante kasi nga mahaba pa yung season at may second round pa. Bawal mag-relax,” Poyos said.
“Ginagawa lang din naming inspiration ‘yung fact na may great run nga po, pero at the same time, hindi rin po kami dapat magpapabaya at ma-kuntento sa pine-perform [ko] kasi ‘yun nga, nag-aadjust ‘yung mga teams and for sure sa second round, mahihirapan naman po kami, pero lalaban pa rin,” added Jurado.
Banagua echoed Poyos' words, saying, “Ginawa ko lang na inspirasyon sila [mga ‘ates’] and respeto rin na kailangan kong mag-make ng name for the team at ma-contribute ko ‘yung kaya kong gawin and le-lessen ko ‘yung pag-ooverthink [sa court].”
Tigresses roaring louder
For UST head coach Kungfu Reyes, who has been coach since 2015, such a strong show of force has been a long time coming for a UST program that has its foundations laid on ‘hardwork’ through years and decades past.
“‘Yung proseso na ginagagawa namin, siguro mga first year high school pa lang ‘tong mga ‘to sa GVT, ‘yung ibang batch, tumataas yung level ng skills eh. Du’n naman kami [naka-focus] at saka ‘yung hardwork lang.
“Ito ‘yung pinaka-best start since nung [Season] 73 nga pero malaking morale-booster ‘to para sa’min kasi nga kung ano 'yung pinaghihirapan ng mga player namin, talagang nag-ppayoff [pero] talagang hindi kami tumitigil kasi nga ang haba pa ng liga.
"Nagpapasalamat kami sa sakripisyo ng mga ‘to, na hanggang huli, nilalaban talaga.”
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