For Ateneo senior Zel Tsunashima, idolizing players doesn’t just mean looking at their talent, but also how they carry themselves on and off the court.
Zel Tsunashima is stepping into a bigger role with the Ateneo Blue Eagles, now one of the veterans tasked to lead their team in UAAP Season 88.
Fresh from her recovery from injury, Tsunashima is raring to bring a new version of herself as she finally returns to the taraflex.
Looking to make up for lost time, Zel revealed some of her UAAP idols, a handful of greats that she aspires to pattern her play on.
[RELATED: Zel Tsunashima wants to banish ‘what ifs’ in Ateneo’s UAAP 88 bid]
The first name that came into mind for Tsunashima is one that just recently made her mark as a UAAP legend: three-time champion Bella Belen.
Tsunashima had high praise for Bellen, with the NU star making history as the first Rookie-MVP in UAAP women's volleyball.
“Currently first si Bella Belen. She’s really an all-around player and I love yung mentality niya,” Tsunashima told One Sports.
After Bellen, Tsunashima then went a little more old school as she looked at her fellow left-handed players.
“Second would be… Aiza Maizo[-Pontillas]. Ate Aiza Maizo. I think as a lefty, as a fellow lefty, I really love how smart she plays and every time I see her parang gusto ko rin madala yung composure niya,” she remarked of the former UST standout.
Ateneo legacy
Tsunashima isn't one to forget about her own people, wrapping up her list with three names from the Ateneo program.
Arguably the biggest name in Philippine volleyball , Alyssa Valdez naturally made Tsunashima's list.
To round things off, Zel also named former teammates after witnessing their hard work in representing the Ateneo Blue Eagles up close.
“Third would be of course, Ate Alyssa Valdez. Carrying the Phenom, the Ateneo spirit, and fourth and fifth would be AC Miner and Lyann De Guzman,” Tsunashima said.
“No any bias pero I really love yung passion nila to play for Ateneo. Like, I want to carry that also.”
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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.