FIGHTING for championships is never for the faint of heart. But for the feisty University of Sto. Tomas Tigresses, young as they may be, the big stage and pressure-packed moments in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament no longer faze them.
Prior to the start of the season, expectations from UST were tempered following the departure of ace quartet Eya Laure, Imee Hernandez, Milena Alessandrini and KC Galdones — all of whom, bar Hernandez were part of the Tigresses’ last fiinals appearance back in Season 81.
Safe to say, 13 matches into the elimination round, the España side went above and beyond with the school’s best start to a women’s volleyball tournament at 8-0 (win-loss). It can still secure at least a top two finish or possibly its first top-seed prelims finish since UST’s title-winning campaign in Season 60 (1997).
READ: UST Tigresses dominate UE, stake claim on twice-to-beat spot
In the words of UST libero-captain Detdet Pepito, the lone third-year player in a team of six rookies and seven sophomores, the Tigresses have learned to ‘love the pressure’ that comes with what is shaping up to be one of the closest title races in recent memory.
“Share ko lang din 'yung natutunan namin kahapon (sa pre-game team talk) na mahalin nga 'yung pressure kasi isa sa mga challenges 'yun na dapat i-overcome, lalo na’t naglalaro ka ng volleyball and UAAP ‘to,” Pepito said.
“Mahalin lang talaga ‘yung pressure kasi ‘pag wala kang pressure, sabi nga ‘ang boring.’ At siguro sa experience lang din since nu’ng Round 1, na-experience na namin 'yung crowd ng UST, 'yung crowd ng kalaban, kaya masasabi ko na kahit papano na-oovercome na namin 'yung ganung kalalaking crowds,” she added.
Moreover, UST’s trifecta of hotshots in outside hitter Angge Poyos, opposite hitter Reg Jurado and setter Cassie Carballo echoed Pepito’s sentiments in highlighting how pressure, when dealt with properly, will translate to much stronger performances moving forward.
"Natutunan ko to love the pressure kasi boring ‘pag wala. Na-oovercome naman namin and ma-overcome pa namin sa mga susunod [na games] lalo sa Final Four," said Poyos.
“If i-eevaluate ko 'yung from last season and sa ngayon, masasabi ko na mas nag-improve na ako ngayon and like what Ate Det (Pepito) said na as a team, pressure is good so we have to accept it. Kailangan lang talaga ng preparedness para malabanan 'yung pressure,” said Jurado.
Carballo added: “Kailangan naming i-embrace 'yung pressure at kailangang may pang-counter kami sa pressure which is 'yung preparation namin sa training. Kung nagagawa naming (maglaro nang maayos) sa training, bakit naman namin hindi magagawa sa laro?”
Adding fuel to the fire
UST head coach Kungfu Reyes took a parallel approach to that of his players, stressing how adding more pressure to the Tigresses can further unleash the best that still lies within as they look to go all-out in the season’s home stretch.
"Put pressure lang, kasi we know naman how to stop the bleeding. Alam din namin kung kailan namin pa-aagusin 'yung flow ng dugo ng mga bata namin. It's either tighten or loosen up, ganun lang. So kapag dinudugo na kami, kailangan naming higpitan 'yung kapit namin. Kapag mas nagiging stiff kami, kailangan naming luwagan nang konti para makagalaw kami nang maayos," said Reyes.
The longtime UST mentor also made sure that as team captain, Pepito will be an 'extension' of his and the coaching staff's voices on the floor, more so in the tough moments.
"Sabi ko nga kay Detdet (Pepito), siya ang mas malapit sa players especially 'pag nasa loob. Siya 'yung extension namin para dun sa mga players. Pinaparamdam lang din namin o ako kay Detdet at sa mga players na alamin nila kung anong kapasidad nila o 'yung galing nila kasi doon lahat magstart.
"Minsan kasi sa players namin, ang laki na ng ambag pero parang nakukulangan sila, which is good pero minsan 'yun 'yung nagiging pangit kasi nga hindi nila nararamdaman kasi meron pa silang gustong ilabas," Reyes bared.
"Kaya we just keep on reminding them, kahit araw-arawin namin 'yan, wala namang problema. Hindi naman kami sumusuko sa kanila at hindi kami magsasawang mag-remind sa kanila."
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