The UST Growling Tigresses are coming off of a Finals loss against the NU Lady Bulldogs in UAAP Season 87.
Veteran holdovers Eka Soriano and Kent Pastrana will let their actions do the talking as they hope to rally the UST Growling Tigresses in UAAP Season 88, gunning to regain the women's basketball crown as hosts.
Soriano, a former UAAP MVP, said that the team is coming off of a training camp in Japan where they really learned how to polish their game, even when they are off the court.
Playing in her final year of eligibility with star scorer Pastrana, both players are eager to lead their team in the right direction as the season starts in mid-September. Having been dethroned in Season 87, all eyes will be on them as they try to wrest back the title for España.
“Ang daming nangyari nung Japan eh… Ang dami ko pong natutunan sa in terms of basketball. As in, akala ko ang bilis ko na. Nung lumaro kami doon, ang gagaling pa rin talaga nila tapos yung culture nila. Yun talaga yung [nakita ko]. Yung discipline nila,” Soriano said on a recent episode of Starting Lineup.
“Yun yung ina-apply namin paunti-unti sa team kasi nakita ko lahat na walang naiiwan sa kanila eh. Talagang lahat iaangat nila,” she added.
Though having long been expected to lead the team, Soriano and Pastrana have the title to come with it this year, as they were named co-captains by long-time head coach Haydee Ong.
Loaded with more experience than most of their teammates, the pair are eager to rally the cavalry.
“Dahil kaming dalawa ni Kent kapitan, paunti unti, sinasanay namin yung team na ganon hangga’t sa pag-alis namin na dapat ganon sila. Malinis. Dapat, organized. Pagkapasok ng ganito, sabay sabay mag-stretch, walang naiiwan, walang nahuhuli,” she said.
Even during the offseason preparation, Soriano said that it has already been effective among their teammates, especially during practice.
Starting to lead by example, the rest of the Growling Tigresses followed suit.
“Sabi nila sa mga kapitan nagsisimula. So sinimulan namin ni Kent, mag-extra tayo [sa practice]. Nagulat nalang ako daming sumasama ah. Dun ako natutuwa so sana magtuloy tuloy pa,” she said.
The Growling Tigresses enter UAAP Season 88 with some hardware as well, after ruling the 2025 RP League Conqueror’s Classic championship. Earlier this year, they also finished as runners-up at the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Invitational.