Tuesday’s match against Akari carried extra significance for Galeries Tower rookie Jean Asis.
It was the first time she faced her former college coach, Tina Salak — the mentor who helped shape her into the player she is today and paved the way for her to become the second overall pick in this year’s Rookie Draft.
Having played under Salak at Far Eastern University, Asis knows her former coach understands her game inside and out, from her movements on the floor to her decision-making under pressure.
That familiarity, she admitted, pushed her to dig deeper and prove how much she has grown.
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“Na-challenge ako. Siyempre coach ko, kilala kung paano ako naglaro,” Asis said with a smile after the game. “Siguro at the same time, na-challenge din ako sa sarili ko kung paano ko lalamangan kung ano ‘yung iniisip nila na laro ko.
“Nangamusta lang si coach, nagtanungan lang kami. Binati rin ako ng nice game, palitan lang ng bati,” she added, recalling the brief but meaningful moment she shared with Salak after the match.
The 5-foot-10 middle blocker has averaged 7.25 points per game in the Highrisers’ first four outings. And she delivered a strong performance against her ex-coach with nine points, including three kill blocks.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as Galeries absorbed their fifth straight loss to close the first round.
Still, Asis remains confident that the lessons and motivation from facing Salak will carry her through the rest of the conference.
For her, the defeat may sting, but the challenge of going up against someone who once guided her — now standing across the net — rekindled a deeper drive.
As the Highrisers look to regroup in the next phase, she feels determined to channel that fire to help the team finally turn things around.
“Yung fighting spirit ba ng team, pukpukan kung pukpukan. Dapat malabas talaga ‘yung laro, kasi nakikita ko kung paano talaga sila mag-training. Kagaya ko rin, iba ako sa training, iba ako sa laro,” Asis said, reflecting on her preseason efforts with the squad.
“Kung ano ‘yung napapakita sa training, dapat sa loob din ng court ‘yun din ‘yung nagagawa. Siguro ‘yun lang ‘yung kulang, saka sa dulo. Kasi parang dun kami nagkukulang, lumalamang pero hindi natatapos nang maayos.”
