The Philippine volleyball community on Twitter is always active, especially during the UAAP Season.
Right now, there’s nothing better going on than the constant stream of GIF’s, videos, and images of Ateneo setter Jia Morado making magic with a volleyball.
Here she is showing off her elastic vertebrae for a beautiful backset.
Jia Morado, a demi-God setter! pic.twitter.com/hBfpaD1hW2
— Kim Castro (@kimkarlocastro) February 12, 2017
Underhand set to the open hitter from the other side of the court? Easy.
Jia "Magic" pic.twitter.com/HkpDo9PfwQ
— Kim Castro (@kimkarlocastro) February 12, 2017
Twisting, bending, eyes closed; it doesn’t matter with Morado.
Hello from the other side, Alyssa Valdez. https://t.co/VQIH843GD2
— Kim Castro (@kimkarlocastro) March 9, 2016
“Pati kami minsan nasho-shock sa mga set ni Jia kaya kailangan ready ka palagi,” said Ateneo opposite hitter Michelle Morente.
“Magugulat ka na lang na sa ‘yo pala niya ibibigay so you have to stay ready talaga. Ang ganda pa nang mga set niya so parang mas nakaka-motivate patayin ‘yung bola.”
On her part, Morado says that she does occasionally run into a GIF or video of her setting online. However, she doesn’t focus on how mind-bending her sets are, but on whether she gave her teammates the best chance to score.
“Sometimes I see one [GIF/video]. Hindi ko alam kung anong mararamdanan [when I see them],” the 21-year-old said while laughing.
“For me kasi I get my satisfaction when we get the point kasi that means we executed the play correctly. ‘Di ko naman tinitignan ‘yung set ko mismo, nakikita ko ‘yung the way my teammates get the point,” the BS Psychology student-athlete furthered adding that she does take extra time to analyze game film.
Ateneo’s playmaker is shining in a new chapter of her career. Now the team’s skipper, Morado is orchestrating Ateneo’s rejiggered offense, post-Alyssa Valdez.
“I think earlier there was a lot of team work. It was working talaga. From the service to defense, nagwo-work siya. And I think we’ve been doing a better job of controlling our errors,” she said.
With the team using a balanced attack, Morado is Ateneo’s reluctant star.
