UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas veteran Sisi Rondina expects her team to be fiercer even without star spiker EJ Laure for the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament.
Two months before the season, Laure was ruled out of the competition due to a chronic shoulder injury.
But Rondina, the team’s energizer bunny, was the first to say that the team will be just as aggressive.
“Hindi naman siya challenging kasi pinakauna pa lang na magtutulungan kami and hindi ko rin iniisip na may nawala samin,” said the hard-hitting spiker from Cebu.
“Ang iniisip na lang namin paano namin takpan ‘yung nawala, paano namin punan lahat ng nawala samin,” she added.
Aside from Laure, Ria Meneses, Pam Lastimosa, Chloe Cortez and Alex Cabanos already graduated from the team.
Still, Rondina believes that teamwork combined with hard work will propel them to their ultimate goal of a championship.
“Always ko naman na pinaparamdam na kaya natin kahit wala sila and kung gustuhin natin makukuha naman natin ang goal natin,” she said.
“Nai-imagine (ko) ang team namin na lumalaban, hindi sumusuko and nanalo at nagtitiwala sa isaít isa,” she added.
Helping Rondina reach their goal are skipper Shanen Palec, Carla Sandoval, Dimdim Pacres, Tin Francisco and RJ Rivera.
UST will face back-to-back defending champion La Salle in the season opener, February 3, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
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