After an ankle injury sidelined her for months, Eya Laure has regained her lofty spot as the main scoring option for the University of Sto. Tomas.
The now-healthy UAAP Season 81 Rookie of the Year delivered the goods that helped the Tigresses complete an elimination round sweep. For this, she earned the Sports Vision Premier Volleyball League Press Corps Player of Week honors.
Laure finished with a personal conference-best 20 points in UST’s 25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 25-23, victory over Arellano last Saturday in Group B of the PVL Season 3 Collegiate Conference.
The power-hitter played an all-around game as she filled the stats sheet with 17 kills, two aces, and a kill block to go with 10 digs. UST swept the five-game group stage, then set up a best-of-three semifinals showdown against UAAP Season 81 Finals tormentor Ateneo.
But more than anything else, Laure needed that kind of explosion to regain her confidence after a long layoff to recuperate from a left ankle injury she sustained during the UAAP Finals.
“Makakatulong din yun sa akin sa confidence ko kasi nga after UAAP, matagal din po ako hindi nakapag-bola. Matagal ako nahinto,” said Laure, who rejoined the Tigresses in their third game of the conference. “Hanggang ngayon kinukuha ko pa rin yung confidence na nawala sa akin tapos dumating sa point na nahihirapan ako kunin.”
Laure — who has averaged 15.3 points in three games of action for UST — also needed to build momentum before she embarks on the biggest stage in her young volleyball career: a tour of duty for the Philippine national team.
The UST sophomore flew to Thailand on Sunday to join the Nationals in their buildup for the inaugural ASEAN Grand Prix in Nakhon Ratchasima from September 20 to 22.
“Malaking bagay ‘to sa akin siyempre na babaunin ko sa Thailand,” she said.
Laure bested Adamson’s Trisha Genesis and Louie Romero; Diane Ventura of CSB; and Faith Nisperos of Ateneo for the weekly recognition given by print and online sportswriters covering the beat.
