After being sidelined last year with a torn left ACL, graduating wing spiker Jonna Perdido is slowly — but surely — regaining her form for a redemption-seeking University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Women’s Volleyball Tournament.
Perdido showed signs of rust in her first three UAAP games since recovering from the season-ending injury. She scored just three points each in losses to Season 87 finalists National University and De La Salle University, before adding four points in a straight-sets triumph over cellar-dwelling Ateneo de Manila University.
However, the 5-foot-7 spiker from Davao rediscovered her groove on the Golden Tigresses’ home floor, the Quadricentennial Pavilion. She fired a season-high 10 points alongside six excellent digs and four excellent receptions in a dominant 25-11, 25-14, 25-14 sweep of the winless University of the East Lady Warriors.
For Perdido, the numbers may seem modest, but the performance boosted her confidence significantly. And the timing is key, as UST prepares for a challenging three-game stretch against Adamson University, University of the Philippines, and Far Eastern University to close the first round.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Malaking bagay po siya na nakuha ko yung kumpiyansa ko nang dahan-dahan. So sa next game, I think magdo-double and triple effort pa ako,” Perdido said after the match on Saturday afternoon.
A key factor in her inspired play was that the Golden Tigresses hosted their first-ever UAAP home game — a much-needed advantage after UST opened the season 0-2 for the first time since Season 79 (2017).
The 23-year-old opposite hitter from Tagum City, Davao, admitted that UST made the most of its home-court advantage. The team leaned on a predominantly Golden Tigresses crowd that packed the QPav to rout the Lady Warriors in just 78 minutes.
“Siguro, tinake advantage po namin yung homecourt and nilaro lang talaga namin kung paano kami maglaro as a team. So ayun, yun naman yung naging resulta, yung nanalo kami kasi yun yung goal this game,” Perdido shared.
“Ako po, masaya kasi dito po may isang game na dito po yung court. Ayun lang, pinakita lang namin kung sino kami,” she added.
With four games under her belt, Perdido rated her current fitness at 8 out of 10, acknowledging that she still needs to continue daily rehabilitation to fully unleash the version of herself that led UST to a silver-medal finish in Season 86.
“Nasa 8 (out of 10) kasi nabigyan po ako ng playing time ngayon na laro, so thankful ako kay Coach Shaq. And this game, minindset ko lang na ilabas lang yung kung paano ako maglaro.”
#WATCH: 8 OUT OF 10 🐯
Jonna Perdido believes she is close to regaining her form after tearing her ACL last year 🏐#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/6FhHGZ6Pgg
📹 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/EJhECic76w
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) February 28, 2026
