Back in 2020, Glory Alonzo was excited to land a scholarship with National University.
A wide-eyed teenager out of Negros Occidental, she was able to obtain an athlete scholarship thanks to Lady Bulldogs head coach Egay Delos Reyes.
However, just a week into her first semester with NU, the school’s softball team received some bad news.
NU was disbanding its softball program due to the pandemic.
Lost, Alonzo, along with Elsie Dela Torre and Neomay Mahinay, did not know what was next.
Then a phone call came.
“Nung nalaman namin na disbanded na yung NU, nag-offer na po si Coach Ana [Santiago] na lumipat kami sa Adamson,” the 22-year-old right-handed pitcher recalled.
“Sobrang grateful namin that time kasi kung tutuusin mo, mahirap talaga e kasi lalo na pandemic nun. Thankful ako na nandun si Coach Ana to the rescue sa amin.”
Once they get into Adamson though, Alonzo faced a new challenge.
Much-hyped was Ezra Jalandoni heading into the season after being one of the aces of the RP Blu Girls over the past two years.
However, Jalandoni was only able to train with Adamson for just a month due to travel restrictions and, later on, commitments with her little league team.
“Nung una, may pressure talaga kasi wala ako experience sa UAAP at sa international. Nung time na yun, sabi ni coach, wala kaming dominant pitcher tapos one month pa lang bumalik si Ezra sa amin,” she shared.
Alonzo had to step up to the plate.
After all, she needed to repay the school and the coach that gave her a new home.
“So far po, yung mindset ko is kung paano makatulong sa team at paano ko dalhin yung team sa loob. Ang maambag ko lang kasi is yung pitching ko,” she said.
“Kahit anong mangyari, kung may palo man ang mga kakampi ko o wala, kailangan ko lang ma-hold yung bawat inning at maniwala na mananalo kami.”
Now, Adamson is back in the Finals.
Now, she gets to play on the biggest of stages.
And now, she wants to finally prove that she is an ace.
“Ang goal ko is ma-defend yung championship ng Adamson. Ako naman, gusto ko pakita sa mga nagda-down sa akin na ito na yung time na ipakita ko na hindi ako yung tinutukoy nila.”
