After everything that has happened, Pam Lastimosa still had a shot to make her final year memorable.
University of Santo Tomas ace hitter Ej Laure went down with an ankle injury early in the third set of their Final Four showdown against defending champions De La Salle University. The graduating former captain was subbed in, getting her first taste of action in what ended up being her last UAAP match.
Lastimosa got the ball several times but the liftoff she could muster in past seasons just was not there. Her last swing ended on the forearms of La Salle’s heady libero Dawn Macandili.
She was subbed out late in the third set and that was the last hurrah for one of UST’s bravest players.
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There was a time when Lastimosa was considered UST’s top player. Coming off a promising UAAP Season 77 campaign, she made a name for herself while playing for the Foton Tornadoes in the 2015 PSL All-Filipino Cup. The then-incoming senior consistently tallied double-digit scoring outputs and helped the Tornadoes finish fourth in a loaded conference.
Unfortunately, Lastimosa never got a chance to see if her hard work would pay off in Season 78 after tearing her ACL. She was sidelined for the entire season and watched her Tigresses fall out of Final Four contention for the fourth straight year.
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Going through grueling rehab, the 23-year-old made the team again for Season 79. While she started the season in the main rotation, she was eventually benched for UST’s younger opposites.
The same competitive fire was still there, but Lastimosa’s athleticism had taken a noticeable hit.
While she did have her moments, Lastimosa spent most of her final year cheering her team on.
But she has no qualms at all. After all, she did get a chance to help UST back into the Final Four after a four-year drought. She also saw the younger Tigresses flourish in the positions they will continue to hold in the future.
After everything, Lastimosa had nothing but happiness and good memories as she sang the University of Santo Tomas Hymn for the last time as a Tigress.
“It was one very memorable journey, it didn’t make me a good player lang, but it also molded me into a better person and madami akong natutunan talaga.
“Hindi ko lang iyon magagamit as a player, pero magagamit ko rin as a person in real life,” the BS Education major told Tiebreaker Times.
“I’m very thankful sa lahat ng sumuporta sa amin, sa coaches ko, sa lahat ng coaches na pinagdaanan ko, from Coach Shaq [delos Santos], to Coach Odjie [Mamon], to coach Kungfu [Reyes], they helped mold me to who I am today. I’m very thankful.”
Like the legions of UST fans that flocked the SMART-Araneta Coliseum, Lastimosa is incredibly optimistic about the future of the Tigresses.
“I believe in them, sobrang tiwala ko sa kanila, and I know na ma-dodoble pa nila kung ano yung nagawa namin ngayon sa season na ‘to,” the Cagayan de Oro-native closed.
“Hopefully [mag-Finals].”
