University of Santo Tomas may have made its straight-sets win over Far Eastern University look easy, but Detdet Pepito knew it was far from that.
The Lady Tamaraws have been a thorn in the Golden Tigresses’ side in recent memory. FEU had won both elimination round encounters in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Volleyball Tournament, as well as their second-round matchup in Season 86 — giving them a three-game win streak against UST.
That history became extra motivation for UST, fueling a dominant 25-17, 25-18, 25-20 victory over FEU in the first round of the Season 88 tournament on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The win was much needed for the Golden Tigresses, who had slumped to a 2-3 start before key victories against the UP Fighting Maroons and the Lady Tams, forcing a triple-tie for third place.
UST, FEU, and the winner between UP and Adamson University tomorrow will finish the first round locked at a 4-3 record.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Happy lang and siyempre kailangan naming i-celebrate ito dahil hindi ito sobrang dali, sobrang hirap talaga. Kudos sa FEU talagang palong-palo kayo pag kami yung kalaban niyo eh no?” said captain Pepito after their one-hour and 33-minute win — the team’s best victory this season.
“Siyempre alam naman namin ‘yung standing namin, and alam naman namin na sobrang kailangan naming gumapang para makapasok sa Final Four. Maaga pa, pero yun naman yung isa sa goals namin: makapasok sa Final Four, lalo na yung standing namin,” she added.
Pepito and her co-seniors held the Golden Tigresses together during a rocky start, which included a shock straight-sets defeat to the Lady Falcons.
For the fifth-year defensive specialist, the key was remembering why they play the sport — and going beyond surface-level reasons.
“Tulad nung sinabi ko kanina nung nag-chapel kami, na kailangan may purpose tayo kasi nga po kapag wala ka kasing rason kung bakit ka naglalaro, masyadong mababaw na,” said the two-time UAAP collegiate Best Libero.
“Kapag nakaramdam ka ng hindi okay na sitwasyon, mabilis kang bibigay. So pagka talagang malalim yung rason niyo kung bakit kayo naglalaro, eh talagang hindi basta-basta bibigay yung katawan at saka pag-iisip.”
With back-to-back victories against dark-horse teams, UST has rediscovered its fire, and Pepito is confident this could be a sign of things to come in the second round.
“Ayun nga, pag-remind lang po talaga sa teammates ko consistently kasi siyempre, hindi naman puwede na pare-parehas lang kaming iisang mindset na pare-parehas lang nada-down,” Pepito continued.
“Kailangan mo talaga… Kahit anong sitwasyon, kailangan maparamdam ko sa kanila na nandito ako, kaya pa namin, kaya pa ng team namin.”
