MANILA – Ateneo Lady Eagles and University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses are set to fight each other one last time for the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball crown in a do-or-die Game 3 today at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The match is slated at 3:30 p.m.
The Lady Eagles aims to regain the UAAP trophy for the first time in four years, while the Golden Tigresses eyes to end its eight-year thirst for glory.
Lady Eagles veterans Bea de Leon and Madeleine Madayag vowed to give their all to help bring back the women’s volleyball tiara to Ateneo as they capped off their collegiate careers.
“Well, it’s our last, actually our last this time. So kami our mindset talaga, whatever happens we keep praying na we enjoy every moment,” De Leon said. “Kasi whatever happens, whatever is next for us, we made it this far. That’s really big for us.”
“So, talaga for us, we’re going to Game 3 with grateful hearts, with happy hearts, with love for each other and love for the game, and of course trust in each other and the Lord,” she added.
Madayag said, “We’re not gonna go down without a fight. That’s what we all told each other and that’s what we ask the Lord. Kasi what we talked about was binigay na ni Lord sa amin, we only need to grab the opportunity.”
Cherry Rondina, who is also playing her final game for the Golden Tigresses this afternoon, hopes that they will be able to recover from their Game 2 meltdown to finally end UST’s long wait for UAAP crown.
“Ganoon talaga siguro kapag may bumagsak, parang nawala agad. At least, makikita niyo na lumaban. Lumaban kami. We had lots of lapses in Game 2. Thankful ako kasi nandoon pa rin ‘yung chance namin,” Rondina said.
“Hindi ko na papalagpasin. Sabi nga, whatever it takes. Doon at doon na lang ang kaya so push na lang hanggang matapos ‘yung liga na ‘to,” added the Season 81 MVP awardee./PN
