A year ago, De La Salle University preached patience.
When the Lady Spikers stumbled out of the gate in Season 87, head coach Ramil de Jesus urged calm as former setter Jules Tolentino and then-rookie playmaker Mikole Reyes navigated early jitters.
The team eventually fought to a silver-medal finish, falling short against three-time UAAP MVP Bella Belen and the National University Lady Bulldogs.
Twelve months later, poise triumphed over pressure as La Salle unleashed another rookie playmaker, aiming to follow in the footsteps of former orchestrators Mars Alba and Julia Coronel.
Far from looking like a pure rookie, 19-year-old Eshana Nunag displayed composure beyond her years. She orchestrated a controlled performance that activated star spikers Angel Canino and Shevana Laput in a straight-sets victory over Far Eastern University, opening La Salle’s redemption drive in the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Volleyball Tournament.
In her UAAP collegiate debut, Nunag immediately earned praise from long-time deputy Noel Orcullo for guiding the Lady Spikers’ main weapons — Laput, who finished with 23 points, and Canino, who contributed 15 of her own.
“So far, ‘yon nga yung first game niya, iniisip nga namin na kakalog siya, pero hindi naman. At least, nakapasa siya sa unang test niya,” Orcullo said after Saturday’s game at a packed SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
“Sana magtuloy-tuloy yung kumpyansa niya at mabuo nang husto going into the league, pa-second round, until the end. Hopefully by then, buong-buo na kumpyansa niya by then.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
The former NU-Nazareth standout did admit to feeling pressure and early jitters. But she was grateful not just for the support of the decorated coaching staff led by De Jesus and Orcullo, but also for the guidance provided by ‘Ates’ Canino and Laput.
Through the tense one-hour and 33-minute battle — highlighted by a thrilling 40-minute back-and-forth third set — Nunag revealed that having outspoken leaders in the battle-tested duo of Canino and Laput helped her compose herself against the Lady Tamaraws’ pair of setters, Tin Ubaldo and Karyll Miranda.
“During the game, very vocal sila sa mga parang… Kahit despite sa mga errors or imperfections sa loob ng court, lagi silang nandiyan. Parang no problem naman, ganyan, dahil kaya ko raw i-up yung sarili ko beyond that,” Nunag shared.
“Lagi sila nandiyan to assure na may papatay [ng bola] dahil as a non-scoring position, sa kanila ko nakukuha yung kumpyansa ko,” she added.
“Siyempre parang sa una, nakakaba dahil freshman and first six na agad. Pero with the help of the coaches and Ates, tiwalang-tiwala ako na hindi nila ako ipapahamak and gagawin nila lahat for me and for the team. No problems dahil naa-assure ako sa loob ng court kahit nagkakamali.”
With her UAAP debut behind her, Nunag now looks forward to a more intense challenge when La Salle faces another perennial contender, the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses, next Sunday, February 22, at a packed MOA Arena.
Eager to test her mettle against Season 86 Best Setter Cassie Carballo, Nunag will once again rely on the guidance of De Jesus, Orcullo, Canino, and Laput to prove her worth as La Salle’s next setter.
“Kakayanin yung crowd na kahit marami or lamang yung crowd nila kaysa sa La Salle, dahil sa support ng teammates and coaches, kakayanin namin,” she vowed.
“E-expect ko na lang din yung ingay and yung drums.”
#WATCH: LAGI SILA NANDIYAN 🏹
Eshana Nunag is glad to have her ‘ates’ Angel Canino and Shevana Laput guide her in her rookie year 🏐#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/QThywxYFHE
📹 Ernest Tuazon/Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/dWhL5cI4Tw
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) February 14, 2026
