As the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles swift through the 13th Shakey’s V-League Collegiate Conference semifinal round, one team was left behind in the dust.
That team was San Sebastian College-Recoletos Lady Stags, who were Ateneo’s victims in a do-or-die affair for the last semis slot Saturday night at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
The match’s outcome was obviously a bitter pill to swallow for the Recto-based Lady Stags, which saw them lose via straight sets, thus sending their semifinal hopes in tatters.
“Wala eh, Ateneo yan. Magaling talaga.
“Ateneo talaga gusto manalo unlike us. They did well as a team,” the former National Team member added.
The Lady Stags’ leader also rued her individual performance, saying that she wasn’t able to show up for her teammates when needed.
“Nung first set, wala talaga ako. As in off ako that time. Yung teammates ko kailangan din ako [kaso wala ako], kasi dapat ako naglea-lead sa kanila,” stressed Soltones.
The five-foot-six scoring machine then addressed how her Lady Stags fell short as a single unit.
“It’s a team thing eh. Talagang nagkulang kami as a team,” admitted Soltones, who was the lone Lady Stag that scored in double figures in their loss against Ateneo by hitting 17 markers.
But despite the stinging defeat, Soltones remained upbeat, as she saw positives from the sweep.
“Mistakes are the best teacher eh.
“Ang dami naming pagkakamali lalo na sa errors, so yun na lang yung ia-apply namin sa NCAA since two months na lang,” she said.
When asked what other intangibles can San Sebastian carry over to the NCAA, Soltones shared that it is the maturity that they gained being exposed in the Shakey’s VLeague.
“Siguro yung maturity na lang sa paglalaro. The last four years, sobrang bata pa ng mga nakakasama ko,” Soltones concluded.
