Throughout the UAAP Season 80 Women’s Volleyball tournament, the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses have shown grit despite their unlucky circumstance.
But against previously-struggling University of the Philippines Lady Maroons, the Golden Tigresses unfurled and went down in surprising fashion. After taking the first set, UST drowned in their own errors and miscues in the last three sets.
Now sitting at 2-4, the Golden Tigresses are in danger of missing the Final Four after returning a season ago.
UST immediately wanted to remedy their situation. Without their coaches, the student-athletes convened for more than an hour after the game and hashed out their issues.
“Pinag-usapan namin kung paano namin gagamutin ‘yung sarili namin.
“Walang dapat sisihin kung ‘di ‘yung sarili namin, nilaban na kami nila coach. Kailangan na nga na kami naman ‘yung lumaban,” said UST’s leading scorer Sisi Rondina, who tallied 23 points against UP.
The Cebuana was quick to admit her own shortcomings
“Ako rin naiinis ako sa sarili ko, ang dami kong mali kanina. Hindi lang talaga nagamit ‘yung word na bawi. Wala, nagkalat talaga kami. And, hindi naman agad mabalik ‘yung sarili namin sa sitwasyon kaya hindi kami nananalo,” said the fourth-year winger.
“Sa sarili, na-frustrate ako. Kasi aminado ako na marami akong mali. Pero, kung ‘yun lang ang iisipin ko, wala, ‘di talaga kami mananalo. Nahihirapan na mga kasama ko, tapos ‘yun pa ipapakita ko, panget talaga. Iniisip ko na lang bumawi ako, kahit sa ibang skills na alam kong makakabawi ako.”
Rondina concluded by expressing the utmost confidence in her teammates.
“Yeah. Ako, sa sarili ko kasi may tiwala ako sa kanilang lahat. Kaya kong ipagmayabang ‘yung mga kasama ko, na kaya namin.”
