THE set to her was too low, but Ej Laure desperately wanted to get the point. The University of Santo Tomas had just let a three point lead slip away and the National University Lady Bulldogs had the fifth set almost tied at 13.
Laure tried a hit over two blockers but was easily stifled by Jaja Santiago. As NU scored to bring the UST lead down to 12-13, Laure landed awkwardly on her right foot. The Araneta Coliseum jumbotron showed the gruesome replay of Laure twisting right ankle.
The UST faithful gasped.
But as Ej Laure got up, stomped her foot a few times and kept going, the gallery drew a huge sigh of relief.
She was not about to sit out the moment she’s been yearning for since she came in two seasons ago.
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Once tagged as UST’s savior, Ej Laure’s journey through the UAAP has been rocky. UST built hype in the off-season but could never translate it in the UAAP.
Season 79 was, again, promising. But things changed; Laure and the Tigresses improved tremendously.
They were two points away from ending the Final Four drought. And Ej Laure was not about to miss the Final Four bliss.
Although she did not add anymore to her 22 points, Laure watched as her batch-mates Cherry Rondina and Dimdim Pacres finished off the Lady Bulldogs.
UST are finally back in the Final Four.
“Feeling ko kaya ako umiyak kasi, hindi dahil dun sa sprain, dahil dun sa malapit na e, two points away na lang,” the 19-year-old spiker said when asked why she had cried while the game was still on-going.
“Nasa isip ko lang, matatapos na yung game, dun pa ako na-sprain. Ang gusto ko lang kasi, matapos yung game na nandun ako. Sinabi ko sa sarili ko, ngayon pa ako na-sprain kung kailan two points na lang, pero nandyan naman sila to cover me up.”
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It turns out, UST did not reach the Final Four behind the prophesied Laure. They got there through supreme teamwork from everyone on the squad.
“Nakakagaan pa lalo kasi siyempre, batchmate ko pa yun [Laure and Pacres]. Alam nila yung capabilities ko na hindi ako gi-give up, gagawin ko lahat talaga para sa team,” the third-year Tomasina shared.
“Siyempre, sobrang nakakatuwa kasi na-achieve na namin yung isang goal. Nakakagaan sa feeling.”
Despite reaching their preseason goal, UST are determined not to just be “happy to be there”.
“Kahit sino po kalaban namin. Gagawin namin lahat para ma-exceed ‘yung expectations namin at ng sumusuporta sa amin,” the second-generation Thomasian vowed.
