National University’s battle against Ateneo de Manila University in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament last Saturday started at 4:39 p.m.
The Lady Bulldogs were overwhelmingly the favorites against the rebuilding Blue Eagles.
But as fate would have it, Ateneo really gave NU all the work, stretching it to a fifth set before the latter eventually got the win, 25-17, 24-26, 26-28, 25-19, 15-7.
At the end of the two-hour and 30-minute match, the time read 7:14 p.m.
Bella Belen was named Player of the Game after producing 21 points, 24 digs, and 10 excellent receptions.
She was then brought to the postgame press conference where members of the media did their job of interviewing the winning head coach and players.
After the eight-minute long Q&A, Belen suddenly asked: “Anong oras na po?” to which they answered, “7:30.”
Belen, a fourth year Psychology student, was then worried, saying “Hindi ako nakaabot sa mock defense namin ng 7 p.m. Sorry, ma’am.”
This goes to show that these athletes are first and foremost, students.
Aside from being competitive inside the playing court, they also need to perform inside the classrooms to do the former.
Fortunately for Belen, and her teammate and Research 1 groupmate Erin Pangilinan, it was only a mock defense.
The real defense happened last Monday and they got approved for Research 2 already.
Sheena Toring, meanwhile, did not entirely play in their win over the Blue Eagles.
The 22-year-old middle blocker had excused herself from the game due to lack of sleep after days of hard work for their research for a class.
Toring, a Tourism student, only had two hours of sleep before the match.
“I’m happy kasi yung goal ko talaga today ay makacontribute sa team since last game wala ako kasi puyat kasi ako non, two hours lang tulog ko,” said Toring after their win against Adamson University on Wednesday, recalling what transpired on Saturday.
“Sinabi ko agad kay coach na parang hindi ko kayang maglaro kasi two hours lang tulog ko so gusto ko lang bumawi ngayong game,” she continued as they swept the Lady Falcons.
While this balancing act of academics and sports seems to have been perfected by the student-athletes, Toring shared that there are still struggles sometimes.
This especially that college programs mostly get tougher during the junior and senior years of students.
But with their research already defended, Toring vowed to make up for lost time and focus on the taraflex this time to help National U in their bid for redemption after they lost the crown last year to De La Salle University.
“To be honest, may part talaga na nadidistract ako kasi sa tulog din eh especially na research yun,” shared the middle blocker.
“Ngayon, since tapos na yun, defended na, kailangan magfocus na this following games.”
