Players gonna play, and haters gonna hate, but the UST Growling Tigresses are gonna slay into the finals!
Entering the fray of the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament was not a walk in the park for the young squad of UST.
This was their first season without their former kapitana, Eya Laure. While the team was rebuilding, and they still rose above the competition amidst a huge height gap among other teams, earning the moniker “Mini Miss UST.”
The black and gold women’s volleyball team faced doubt and tons of comparison in every game, but team captain Detdet Pepito and the UST Growling Tigresses used the bashing as a morale booster to roar louder.
After sweep of the first round, clinching the twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals, and dethroning the defending champions, the DLSU Lady Spikers, UST showcased supreme dominance from start to finish to reach the grand championship stage of the collegiate volleyball tournament.
Amid their remarkable performance, kapitana Detdet and the final-bound UST kept their feet on the ground as they deal with heavy criticism.
“Una sa lahat, TY [thank you] sa mga bashers, kasi ginawa talaga namin silang inspirasyon. Unang-unang game pa lang, alam namin [may] kumukutya na “ay wala ‘to””. And ayun napatunayan namin no’ng unang game. Na[pa]kita namin ‘yong kapasidad ng team namin. Kaya ayun tinrabaho lang po talaga namin. And ayun gusto ko lang pong magpasalamat sa lahat ng naniwala,” heartfelt message from Detdet.
Hard work truly paid off for the Mini Miss UST.
While the last ticket for the final round is still in battle of contention between the NU Lady Bulldogs and the FEU Lady Tamaraws in their do-or-die match on Wednesday, expect a fiercer and deadlier UST Growling Tigresses with their big hearts and strong spirits.
Catch all the UAAP action live on One Sports, UAAP Varsity Channel, and the Pilipinas Live app.
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