There was no better scorer in the UAAP Season 81 Women’s volleyball tournament opening weekend than University of the Philippines’ Isa Molde.
The fourth-year open hitter powered in 23 points, leading the Lady Maroons past the gritty University of the East Lady Warriors and earning her the Chooks-to-Go-Collegiate Volleyball Press Corps Player of the Week honors.
UP needed all of Molde’s 23-point outing to survive the grueling five-setter against one of the league’s best defensive teams. The Season 78 Rookie of the Year was also a strong presence in the back row, providing 10 excellent receptions from 22 attempts.
Billed as contenders after winning the PSL Collegiate Grand Slam and PVL Collegiate Conference, the Lady Maroons came into the opening day under plenty of pressure. But the 20-year-old Molde insists that the pressure is helping her and UP focus on their goals.
“Siyempre, may pressure talaga. Pero nandoon naman ‘yung pressure kasi nakita ng mga tao, ng UP community na kaya namin. Nakakatulong din siya para sa confidence mo,” said the Cebuana.
UP head coach Godfrey Okumu emphasized the need for a balanced performance from his roster to succeed in the UAAP. But having players like Molde to rely on in clutch situations is a luxury he enjoys.
“We have a lot of great players, but someone like Isa helps us get out of tough spots,” said the Kenyan mentor.
“When we have to go out-of-system, Isa can be relied on to get us points. We’ll definitely need more of that type of play to get good results moving forward.”
Molde knows that every game will be a challenge and earning their next win over the Far Eastern University will be a tall task, given their past meetings.
“Mahirap talaga kalaban ‘yung FEU kasi marami din sa kanilang veterans and ready mag-contribute sa team. Kailangan namin talaga maging composed against them and bawasan ‘yung mga errors namin,” Molde closed.
The Lady Maroons will face the FEU Lady Tamaraws on Wednesday in a rematch of the PVL Collegiate Conference Finals.
