Barby Dajao was one of the brightest stars to emerge from the high school ranks for the University of Santo Tomas in UAAP Season 87.
The Bacolod City native swept the Most Valuable Player awards in both the girls’ 5-on-5 basketball tournament and its corresponding 3×3 competition in 2025.
Dajao averaged a double-double of 17.25 points and 11.25 rebounds, along with 5.5 assists and 4.13 steals per game, as she led the Junior Tigresses to a season sweep and the eventual championship.
Now in her second year with the Growling Tigresses, however, the 21-year-old has had to find her place in a talent-laden roster determined to defend its throne in Season 89.
Rather than seek the spotlight, Dajao has embraced her responsibilities on the defensive end while remaining ready to contribute whenever her coaches call her number.
“Ang nakikita ko talaga pong role ko sa team is depensa talaga. And of course, ready talaga kapag tinatawag ng coaches, and sundin lang game plan na tinuro sa amin, and maging coachable palagi,” she said.
Still, for a player who once dominated the high school ranks, Dajao has always dreamed of taking on a bigger role in UST’s collegiate campaign.
On Wednesday, she took a significant step toward realizing that ambition.
Dajao delivered a career-best performance as the Growling Tigresses overwhelmed the University of the Philippines, 93-65, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, contributing 14 points on an efficient 4-for-7 clip from the field to help UST extend its winning streak to eight games.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
More than the numbers, however, the performance gave Dajao another reason to believe in herself as she continues to earn her place in the defending champions’ rotation.
“Ang masasabi ko lang po is happy ako. Happy ako sa team, and of course sa sarili ko din, dahil nakukuha ko na din yung confidence and nakakatulong din ako sa team,” Dajao added.
The full weight of that breakthrough became apparent only after the final buzzer.
As the conversation shifted to her journey toward earning more opportunities, Dajao struggled to hold back her emotions.
For someone who had once been a dominant force in high school, adjusting to a stacked collegiate lineup required patience and perseverance. She had to put in the work, prove herself in training, and trust that her opportunity would eventually come.
“Siguro kailangan ko lang pagtrabahuhin talaga muna. Alam ko kasi na marami pa talagang mga seniors kaya kailangan ko pa mag-work hard and ipakita sa training na deserve ko rin ng time,” she shared.
Dajao broke down in tears after the interview, overcome by the emotions she had been holding back throughout her journey.
Wednesday’s performance was about more than the points she scored or the victory she helped secure. It was the culmination of the work she had put in while waiting for her moment, even as she learned to accept a smaller role than the one she had grown accustomed to in high school.
For Dajao, the breakthrough was a glimpse of the player she had been working so hard to become.
And after patiently waiting for her chance, she is finally beginning to show what she can do when given the opportunity.
