Jhoana and Jaja Maraguinot have never shared the same court in a tournament before, but that’s about to end once Ateneo dives into its title-retention bid.
UAAP Season 82 marks the first time the Maraguinot sisters will play competitive volleyball alongside each other. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the two feel excited at the prospect of their on-court debut.
“First of all, sobrang happy ako kasi ‘yun nga, that’s our dream na mag-play in the same court,” the younger of the siblings gushed.
The elder Maraguinot then chimed in:
“Yes, first time ever kasi nga parang ‘yung age gap namin sakto. Like kung graduating siyang high school, graduating ako ng college, parang gan’un.”
Now, the stars have aligned for Ateneo’s sister act.
In the buildup to the collegiate wars, Jaja has entrenched herself in Oliver Almadro’s system. With Deanna Wong sidelined, the young playmaker ably stepped up in her stead, commanding the spotlight in the PVL Collegiate Conference, where she earned Best Setter honors.
Jhoana, on the other hand, is now as healthy as ever. She played through a recurring knee injury for the past few years before deciding to focus on recovery for the longevity of her promising career.
But before this Ateneo tandem came to be, it took plenty of persuasion from the younger Maraguinot to bring her older sister back to the Lady Eagles’ nest.
“Yes, sobra. Sobra ko siyang cinonvince,” Jaja recalled, smiling.
“Kaya noong nakapag-decide na siya, sobrang thankful ako sa kanya kasi ‘yun nga, cinonsider niya na bumalik.”
Now, of course, she’s going to lay it all on the line to roll out the red carpet for her sister.
“Parang sobrang excited ako na gusto ko ilaro ‘tong year na ‘to for her. Like everything I do is for her, for our family, and for everyone na sumu-support sa amin.
“Sobrang happy lang talaga na magkakasama kami,” Jaja bared.
Expectations are high for the sibling duo to make an immediate impact in the collegiate scene. But admittedly, they themselves don’t know what to expect from their connection this season.
“Actually, hindi ko din talaga alam kasi first time din namin maglalaro. So hindi ko alam ‘yung feeling na baka mag-aaway lang kami sa loob ‘pag bad game kami. Pero I think na malaking bagay rin na kilala namin ‘yung isa’t isa na magtinginan lang kami, alam na namin ‘yung gagawin namin,” Jho quipped.
One thing is certain, though — for Jaja and Jhoana, they will cherish this season for the rest of their lives.
“So ayun, sobrang exciting siya at hindi ko rin alam ie-expect ko,” the elder Maraguinot beamed.
“So sobrang special din nitong season na ‘to for us.”
