Even as a rookie, La Salle’s Mikee Santos was reliable as ever for head coach Ramil de Jesus as the Lady Spikers faced the UP Fighting Maroons.
The DLSU Lady Spikers entered a rough patch on Wednesday when they headed into their battle against the UP Fighting Maroons without skipper Shevana Laput, who was unable to play due to illness.
But the Taft-based squad quickly recovered thanks to the readiness of rookie hitter Mikee Santos who stepped up in Laput’s absence.
Santos took the Fil-Australian’s place in the starting lineup and scored 10 points in a resounding three-set sweep of the Fighting Maroons to pull the Lady Spikers ahead in the standings with three games under their belt.
[READ: La Salle mauls UP for 3-0 start in UAAP Season 88 women's volleyball]
After the match, Santos said that she took the opportunity to show off her wares.
“Masaya po, lagi ko lang po iniisip pag naglalaro [ako] yung sinasabi po ng coaches namin na this is the time na ipakita po yung pinagti-trainingan namin and as a rookie gusto ko rin po makatulong sa seniors so it’s something na lagi kong iniisip during the game,” she said.
Though it was an overall team effort with Angel Canino, Amie Provido, and Shane Reterta also pulling their weight, Santos exceeded expectations.
The 19-year-old wasn’t one to hog the credit, though, as she spoke about the importance of having her veteran teammates there — especially those who have national team experience under their belt.
“Important po siya [sa akin] kasi as a rookie first time ko pong maglaro sa UAAP. Siguro mas makakatulong po ito sa akin na mas maging confident at mas matatag sa court and yung mga experiences din po ng ate magiging inspiration po yun para push pa po ako to do better,” she said.
Canino topscored in the three-set conquest of UP with 12 points along with five excellent digs and six excellent receptions. Meanwhile, Reterta had 11 markers, six excellent digs, and eight excellent receptions.
Making the job easier
The learning goes both ways for La Salle’s youngsters and veterans.
For Provido in particular, who tallied 11 points against the Fighting Maroons, it was a delight to see first-year players perform on a level that they haven’t seen before.
Apart from Santos, setter Eshana Nunag has also shone through in the first three games of the season.
With a good mix of young talent and experience, Provido is upbeat on how the season will transpire for the whole La Salle team.
“Honestly, sobrang laking tulong the way sila maglaro sobrang gaan nila kasama sa court and makikita namin na eager talaga sila tumulong sa amin, eager sila na magperform talaga kahit rookie sila,” she said, speaking about Santos and Nunag.
“Hindi namin nakikita na takot sila, parang kalevel lang [namin] — si [Eshana] sobrang mature niya inside the court.”
The rest of the season is still ahead for La Salle, with 11 games left in elimination.
Their next test comes in the form of long-time rival Ateneo Blue Eagles in their rivalry game slated Sunday, March 1, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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.