For a graduating senior, the motivation is automatic: finish your collegiate career strong and deliver for your team, ideally with a championship in hand.
That drive burns even brighter when you’ve spent years coming close to that dream of hoisting the shining golden trophy.
KC Valino, ace pitcher of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons softball team, carried that fire into her fourth—and likely final—UAAP season.
With preseason accolades already on her chest, she aimed to turn past performances into results on the biggest stage.
Last Tuesday, in a do-or-die clash against the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Softbelles, Valino delivered.
The Bulacan pride allowed just three earned runs on seven hits over a complete-game effort.
Her three putouts and two strikeouts proved equally crucial as UP walked away with the victory and its fourth consecutive Finals berth.
“Actually, ang pakiramdam ko talaga ngayon is sobrang saya ko kasi naibalik ko ‘yung team namin uli sa Finals kasi ‘tong laro talaga namin against UST is sobrang importante ngayon,” Valino recalled. “Pagkagising ko pa lang kaninang umaga, sinimulan ko na ‘yung sarili kong nakangiti. Sinabi ko sa sarili ko na ilalaban namin ‘to; hindi kami papayag na matalo kasi last year na namin. Ang pangit naman ng record kung hindi kami umabot sa Finals.
“Kaya ito talagang game na ‘to, lahat talaga ng lakas, tibay ng loob, as in, binigay talaga naming lahat, lalo na ako. ’Yung tipong lahat ng bola, gusto kong kunin lahat, para tapos na.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
UP had enjoyed a high after a third straight win in the first round, highlighted by a stunning upset of 12-time defending champion Adamson University.
But UST grounded UP back to reality, forcing the Maroons to rethink their focus.
Determined to bounce back, UP vowed to respond in their second-round matchup—a game that would ultimately decide who advanced and who ended their season.
“Actually hindi lang one week; simula nung natalo kami ng UST nung first round, pinaghandaan na namin ‘to. Nag-uusap kaming teammates na ‘pag nagharap kami ng UST, hindi puwedeng hindi babawi, kasi kaya natin ‘yon eh.
“Natalo lang tayo kasi nga nanalo kami sa Adamson, so parang nag-relax, maraming errors. Pero ang sabi namin, maganda rin ‘to, katulad niyan, papunta tayo sa Finals, hindi tayo nagre-relax; mas pumukpok pa, mas ginalingan pa talaga,” said the Physical Education major.
UP started strong, scoring five runs in three innings while holding UST scoreless for four. The Tiger Softbelles finally broke through in the fifth with two runs, but Valino reminded herself why she was on the mound and focused on finishing the game. After six more outs—including a pop fly she caught herself—the Maroons celebrated a first step toward reclaiming a lost crown.
“Nasa isip ko talaga, lamang pa rin kami, so walang pressure. Ang sinabi ko lang ay hindi na dapat ‘to maka-score ulit. Kailangan every inning, makuha ko ‘yung tatlong batter, ok na,” she said.
“’Yung fly ball na last, inisip ko talaga na ako na ‘yung kukuha para tapos na. At nung natapos na, sabi ko talaga, ‘Thank you, Lord.’ Tapos, umiyak na talaga ko. Naisip ko, tapos na ‘yung laban sa UST, Finals na uli kami; maghaharap na uli kami ng Adamson.”
(C) UAAP Season 86 Media Team
For seniors like Valino, the season—and their UAAP careers—are far from over. Team captain Nickole Dela Cruz even held back the traditional graduation flowers until the final round of bases, insisting the team must first claim victory.
“Sobrang saya ko lang naibalik ko ‘yung team ko sa Finals; lalaban uli kami sa Finals. And sabi ko nga, ‘di ba, marami ‘yung ga-graduate sa team namin. Sabi ni Nickole, ‘Hindi ako magpapagawa ng bulaklak kasi kailangang manalo tayo diyan. Walang tatakbo; hindi pa tayo tatakbo.’ So, parang ‘yon na ang naging motivation namin: hindi pa tayo tatakbo kasi wala tayong bulaklak,” she shared.
“So, sobrang saya namin, at sinabi namin na ‘Nickole, tama ka nga ‘no. Hindi pa tayo magpapagawa ng bulaklak kasi lalaban pa tayo sa Finals.”
The path to a fourth straight Finals was far from easy, and Valino believes the challenge might be a sign that hard work is required to finally claim a UAAP crown, the first since Season 70.
“Itong pang-apat naming Finals this season, kakaiba siya sa mga nakaraang umabot kami sa Finals kasi dito, tingnan mo naman, ‘tong laban namin sa UST, laglagan. Hindi katulad ng tatlo naming appearances na lumalaro ng Finals, kasi no’n manalo lang ang dalawang games sa second round, alam na namin na papasok kami. Eh itong laro namin sa UST… last pa sa elimination tapos hindi pa namin alam kung ano bang mangyayari. Basta piniprepare lang namin ‘yung sarili namin na kailangan, kahit anong mangyari, umabot tayo sa Finals. Kasi ang motivation din talaga namin this Season 88 is talunin na ‘yung Adamson,” she said.
“Ito na ‘yon; kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa? Wala na, gagraduate na kami. So, siguro, maganda rin itong last game namin sa UST. May purpose si God kung bakit hindi niya ginawang madali ‘yung pagpasok namin sa Finals. So, siguro, ito na ‘yon.”
Valino sees the team that showed up against UST as exactly the Fighting Maroons she’s been waiting for over the past three years.
“Actually, kanina sa laro namin, parang ‘yung hinahanap ko sa team namin ng tatlong taon, parang nakita ko talaga. Kasi iba ‘yung fighting spirit ng bawat isa sa amin kanina. Makikita mo talaga sa mga mata ‘yung galit, ‘yung gustong bumawi; makikita mo talaga eh. So, sabi ko, ‘Ito na ‘yun. Ito ‘yung team na hinahanap ko nang tatlong taon na. Ready-ng-ready na kami sa Finals.”
