As head coach Kungfu Reyes said, the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses have suffered unprecedented heartbreak under his watch.
With combination of injuries, bad luck with recruitment, and subpar on-court performances, UST failed to make the Final Four three times in his first four seasons.
The Tigresses fell to their steepest low last season; they dropped to seventh place, their lowest finish in the Final Four era. As they struggled, the strong UST crowd slowly dwindled down to the most hardcore fans.
In the UAAP Season 81 Women’s Volleyball Tournament, the Tigresses set out not only to improve their record, but also to restore the UST community’s faith. They did it slowly, showing they could conquer adversity such as Milena Alessandrini’s injury.
The support has been flowing since the gold-clad UST fans flocked to their playoff match for the twice-to-beat advantage at the Filoil Flying V Centre. It then hit a crescendo in Game One of the Finals.
“Nagpapasalamat yung mga different batches ng UST sa amin kasi nakapag-reunion sila,” quipped Reyes, as most of the 17,000 who filled the Araneta stands were UST fans.
And it did feel like a family gathering. Since Season 72, UST fans have waited to celebrate another UAAP championship.
Almost every legendary UST personality showed up for Game One, from program architect August Sta. Maria, to the last Tigress MVP Venus Bernal, to stalwart Ging Balse. The UST crowd drowned the fabled Coliseum in their chants and seemingly powered the Tigresses to a dominant win.
“Before the game, napapatingin talaga ako sa paligid ko kasi ang dami nilang nag-go-‘Go USTe’. Nakaka-amaze talaga kasi isa yun talaga sa gusto naming ma-accomplish before the season; yung maibalik sila and mapa-cheer sila sa amin,” said UST rookie Eya Laure, who tallied 11 points in Game One.
For graduating captain Sisi Rondina, a text from Balse was the extra motivation she needed to pour out an inspired performance of 23 points.
“Sabi niya sa akin sa text na, ‘Si, kaya niyo yan. Bigay niyo na lahat niyo.’ Sobrang laking bagay noon sa akin,” Rondina said.
“Para talaga ‘to sa lahat ng naniniwala sa amin mula sa mga paghihirap namin. Pagdating ng Game Two, alam namin na nandiyan pa rin sila, kaya hindi rin kami mawawala.”
