Gerz Petallo and the FEU Lady Tamaraws hope to ride the stability of their program as they hope for another Final Four run in UAAP Season 88.
The FEU Lady Tamaraws are heading to UAAP Season 88 enduring key losses from last year, with the likes of Chenie Tagaod and Jean Asis already moving on to the pro ranks in the PVL.
After back-to-back Final Four appearances, some may doubt the veracity of FEU’s continued competitiveness — especially against a crowded title race.
But new FEU captain Gerz Petallo believes that it has always been about the group, rather than individual players for the Lady Tamaraws.
That is, even without Tagaod and Asis, they are still a formidable team.
“We deal with our team talaga mismo. Yung buong team, kailangan maging mature. Hindi lang yung mga ates,” Petallo said, pertaining to herself and the other veterans left.
“Hindi sila [dapat] magiging dependent on us.”
While offensive firepower will be the most glaring difference following Tagaod and Asis’ exit, their leadership will also be sorely missed.
However, it will be a manageable task for Petallo and the rest of the team — with responsibilities spread out across all Lady Tams suiting up for the season.
“Ganoon yung thinking namin palagi, kailangan namin maging mature sa game on and off the court,” she said.
When the going gets tough
Maturity and leadership will be most needed in endgame situations, things that the Lady Tamaraws will surely need to avoid the pain of their recent Final Four exits.
After falling short of breaking through to the Finals, Petallo is looking forward to a more steadfast Lady Tamaraws side this time around.
“Siguro, [we need to keep] pushing talaga on our limits. Kasi nga, yun nga, palagi kaming kinakapos. Nandoon na sana, pero nabibitawan,” Petallo said.
“Kailangan pa po talaga namin ng determination, focus pa sa goal namin na maging intact pa rin kami para mabuo po namin yung sistema talaga namin and makuha po syempre yung goal namin,” she continued.
Petallo will have key holdovers to flank her as well, including middle blocker Cla Loresco who is coming off of a busy offseason with Alas Pilipinas.
[RELATED: Cla Loresco hopes to use valuable Alas experience in FEU's UAAP Season 88 bid]
Aside from Petallo, Faida Bakanke and Mitzi Panangin are also on deck for head coach Tina Salak for UAAP Season 88.
Their veteran presence will be needed as the Lady Tamaraws go up against the DLSU Lady Spikers for their first game on Valentine’s Day, February 14, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
—
Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.