Adamson University finished as the bronze medalist of the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament and the youthful squad looked to go even higher from that point forward.
Having the young core of Louie Romero, Trisha Tubu, Kate Santiago, and Lorene Toring, the Lady Falcons were primed to spread their wings even further and farther with at least one more season together.
However, things took a bad turn despite the bronze finish less than a month after their Season 85 campaign as Adamson released head coach Jerry Yee after he took on the coaching job in the then-newly-formed Farm Fresh in the Premier Volleyball League.
Romero, Tubu, and Santiago, along with Cae Lazo, Rizza Cruz, and Ckyle Tagsip followed Yee, turning pro, effectively ending their collegiate careers.
What was once a promising team became depleted in an instant. Season 86, which could easily be another strong showing for the Lady Falcons became a rebuilding one.
For Angge Alcantara, a setter who stayed after the Yee incident, it was one of the biggest what-ifs in her UAAP career.
Now, Alcantara is already in the PVL with PLDT, which dominated her old teammates and Farm Fresh in straight sets, 25-20, 25-17, 25-19, on Tuesday in the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference.
“Siguro kaya rin talaga na i-maintain yung spot namin, yung bronze, or mas mahigitan pa kasi buo talaga kami no’n eh. Malaki rin talaga yung potential ng team if ever na natuloy yun,” Alcantara contemplated.
“Sayang kasi talagang kumpleto eh and nanghihinayang din na hindi matuloy, na nagkawatak-watak kami,” she added.
Adding to the woes of Adamson in Season 86 was Toring being sidelined with a torn ACL prior to the start of the tournament.
The Lady Falcons struggled with a depleted lineup, managing a lowly 3-11 record for seventh place.
Alcantara shone brightly in her reunion with her old teammates, tallying 12 excellent sets and four attack points.
On the other hand, Tubu made nine points for the Foxies while Romero had nine excellent sets, two points, and six digs.
“Happy ako and proud sa naging teammates ko dati. Sobrang happy lang talaga ako kasi nakikita ko talaga na every game nagiimprove sila and pinapahirapan din nila yung team na nakakalaban nila,” shared Alcantara, who finished her BSESS major in Fitness & Sports Management degree as Magna Cum Laude.
Santiago is now with ZUS Coffee while the rest of the Lady Falcons who came with Yee remained at Farm Fresh.
