For much of the Shakey’s V-League Collegiate Conference, Ateneo’s Jhoana Maraguinot was more cheerleader than player.
The 20 year old spiker had on a cumbersome boot on her left foot that helped her recover from a stress fracture in her calf. The boot might have restricted her jumping but it did allow her to settle down and watch as her teammates slowly came together as a team and make a cinderella run to the Finals.
While her teammates had the chance to warm-up and adjust to their new roles, Maraquinot was thrust straight into the spotlight, debuting in Game One of the Finals against the National University Lady Bulldogs.
Without the usual pop in her hop, the Batangas-native still scored nine points but her Lady Eagles succumbed in five hotly-contested sets.
“Super happy na, finally, I got the chance to play kasi sobrang tagal ko ng naghihintay for this – almost four months na,” the 5’8” open spiker told Tiebreaker Times.
“Mahina pa ‘yung katawan ko ngayon. So ‘yun ‘yung kailangan ko pagtrabahuhan – kailangan ko makasabay sa kanila kasi sobrang iwan na ako sa kanila in terms of condition,” she continued.
Maraguinot then acknowledged the tough task of having to jump straight into the Finals with barely any training and preparation.
“Sabi ko naman before pa magsimula ng season na kailangan kong makagawa ng paraan para makatulong sa team,” she insisted.
“Kahit gaano akong kahina, gagawain ko pa rin lahat for them.”
As for her team’s meltdown, Maraguinot thought they focused too much on NU’s main weapon Jaja Santiago in the endgame.
“Feeling ko nataranta kami. Sobrang laking factor ni Jaja (Santiago) kapag na nasa harap siya. Kailangan talaga mag-focus ka sa kanya to the point na makakalimutan mo ‘yung ibang player. And ibang player ‘yung gumawa noong huli. Nakalimutan namin na hindi lang si Jaja ‘yung nandoon,” she explained.
Faced with another do-or-die situation in Game Two, Maraguinot believes the Lady Eagles will easily find their footing.
“We’ll keep on fighting. Kapit lang kasi nakailang do-or-die na kami and we know what we need to do,” she closed.
