The University of Santo Tomas Tigresses looked down and out in their opening match against the Lady Falcons.
But Cherry Rondina doesn’t know how to give up.
Last season’s off-the-bench option played her first match in the starting six. When the Tigresses were muffled, she roared then back into the match.
The second-year wing hitter scored pivotal points in each of UST’s three late-set comebacks. She ended with a career-high 30 points off 25 attacks, 3 blocks, and 2 aces. But UST could not catch enough breaks down the stretch to pull off a miraculous win.
After the match, the beach volleyball champion’s spirits were still high.
“Maganda talaga (‘yung game). Kahit down kami noong first two sets, naiangat pa rin namin. Nilaban talaga namin,” the Cebuana said.
Rondina then went on to describe where she pulls her signature intensity from.
“Pag naglalaro po kasi ako, kinu-commit ko ‘yung buong sarili ko sa laro. Sinabi kasi ni coach na once tumapak kayo sa court, ibigay niyo na ‘yung buong confidence niyo.”
Rondina also recognized that she was just filling in for injured senior Pam Lastimosa in the starting six. Rondina knew she had to contribute as much as Lastimosa would have.
“Para kay Ate Pam ‘to kasi dapat sa kanya ‘tong posisyon. Nakuha ko din kay Ate Pam na pagkapalaban niya. Dinala ko na lang din ‘yun dito kasi dapat siya talaga ‘yung naglaro,” Rondina expressed about her former team captain who went tore her ACL last December.
Rondina and UST will try to bounce back against the defending champions, the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles on February 7, Sunday, 2 p.m. at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
