A year ago, the Far Eastern University triumvirate of Richard Solis, Jude Garcia, and Kevin Hadlocon took the collegiate sands by storm, sweeping the elimination round of the UAAP Men’s Beach Volleyball tournament to book an outright berth to the Finals.
However, two heartbreaking losses to UST’s Krung Arbasto and Jaron Requinton then turned the Tamaraws’ dream campaign into a nightmare.
And no one took the devastating defeats harder than Garcia and Hadlocon.
After all, the FEU tandem did not just lose the chance to retain a lost crown back to Morayta. They also lost the opportunity to roll out the red carpet for the then-graduating Solis.
Still, despite the disappointing experience, Garcia and Hadlocon have taken it in stride. And now, they seek to make a spirited run through the UAAP sands once again.
“Yung pagkawala ni Richard… Wala na siya, so inaccept na namin, kaya gagawa kami ng history namin,” bared Garcia.
“So sinabi ko sa kakampi ko na kailangan kunin natin ngayong taon.”
Indeed, Garcia and the rest of the Tamaraws are steadily moving forward in the wake of Solis’ departure. Another veteran in Jeremiah Barrica has also helped fill the gap the former Tamaraw skipper left in FEU.
“Sobrang kampante ako sa teammates ko kasi andiyan silang dalawa kapag nahihirapan ako, andiyan lang sila,” the hard-hitting Garcia shared.
Garcia and Hadlocon are clearly putting it all on the line this season, especially since their hunger for a championship has grown stronger following their stint a year ago.
But more than anything, the duo simply want to give FEU a championship before they bid farewell to the collegiate scene.
“Last playing year ko na ‘to, last playing year na rin ni Kevin, kaya sobrang eager akong makakuha ng championship at maibalik ang championship sa FEU,” confided Garcia, who is playing his final year of eligibility along with the 25-year-old Hadlocon.
“Wala na tayong bawi, wala na tayo next year. Kaya kailangan natin ibigay ‘yung one hundred-percent bawat game.”
