Entering their second round encounter against a complete De La Salle University Lady Spikers squad, many expected the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles to struggle as they had opted to rest ace spiker Jho Maraguinot for the game. And when the starting six were being announced, many were surprised as Ana Gopico and Ponggay Gaston were plugged into the line-up — reinforcing the thought that the Lady Eagles would just “tank” the game.
Many expected Ateneo to drop the no-bearing game that only had placing at stake. But dropping a game is not part of the Lady Eagles’ vocabulary.
After falling in the first set by a huge 13-point margin, the Lady Eagles bounced back the rest of the way, taking advantage of La Salle’s errors. Michelle Morente proved to be a thorn in La Salle’s side, while Bea de Leon was able to anchor the front line.
But it was rookie Jules Samonte who stepped up under the bright lights of the biggest rivalry game in collegiate sports.
“Speechless ako. Sobrang nag-step up siya,” Morente remarked about Samonte.
“Imagine; she’s the only rookie tapos siya pa ‘yung nag-step up sa amin.”
The product of the De La Salle-Zobel program finished the game with 10 markers, nine coming from attacks and an ace — her personal best at the seniors level. But it was an unexpected performance, as she hadn’t even expected to play in the game.
“I actually didn’t know that I was gonna play. I didn’t expect it, but then, coach Tai [Bundit] prepared all of us naman to play,” the 18-year-old shared.
Prior to entering Ateneo, the 5-foot-9 spiker played middle blocker for Zobel. But she was converted to an open spiker once she entered Loyola Heights.
“Expected na yun kay Jules nung simula pa lang,” Ateneo assistant coach Sherwin Meneses remarked about their rookie.
“Talagang hindi lang mabigyan ng break kasi may mga seniors. Pero siya yung pinakamasipag sa team so nag-pay off naman yung sipag niya sobra.”
“I like the position because my teammates are also helping me. I’m not having a hard time, I just have to learn how to adjust,” Samonte added about her seamless transition to her new position.
But the most important tip she got came from Maraguinot herself — the spiker she was subbing in for.
“Ate Jho gave me a lot of tips that really helped me play as well,” she shared.
Even with this outing, Samonte will not rest on her laurels, knowing that it was her hard work that paved the way for this opportunity.
“It really boosts my confidence, but I know I have to work more and harder,” she declared.
