The padded mat’s ‘assassin’

Peter Torres. PHOTO from Facebook account

MANILA, Philippines—Sitting inside a not-so-crowded cafeteria, with the air-conditioning blowing a cool breeze of relief from the outside heat, Peter Torres looked nothing like the imposing spiker that has terrorized volleyball defenses in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Standing at 6-feet-3-inches, Torres looked like a normal student, although nobody’s head in the closest vicinity tipped his shoulder and his bent legs could barely stay bent without touching the cafeteria table.

Chilled and relaxed in a blue shirt and khaki pants, the former basketball player admitted that volleyball never came to his fancy until a shattering heartbreak opened a new avenue for his springboard skills.

“Before, I didn’t have any liking for volleyball because I was focused on basketball. Then an opportunity came,” the former basketball center said. “Then we lost in one tournament then the volleyball coach approached us if we wanted to play his game.”

He was in his fourth year of high school when he took volleyball by the jugular.

Jumping to another field, the lanky Taclobanon easily rode the big wheels, using his height and impressive jumping ability to good use.

Torres, from the man in the middle in the parquet floor, had a smooth transition to as a center and middle blocker in the padded mats using his lanky build for quick strikes and impenetrable blocks.

Never did the shy Taclobanon think that he would make it big in the volleyball court, until a sudden change in his school put the pieces together.

Under the conglomerate

When entrepreneurial giant SM took over National University, everything took a drastic turn for the better.

In 2008, Henry Sy bought 60 percent of NU and the rest of the development followed through.

From the facilities to the mentality, the new powers instilled to their players the mindset of playing with the best.

“We were lucky that SM took over; they want their players to be among the best,” Torres said, who entered NU in 2010.

“They told us that ‘in three years we want to see you become champions’ and we’re glad that we fulfilled our end of the promise.”

From Tacloban to the capital

Born on December 7, 1993, Peter was a true-blue Taclobanon spending all his life in the Visayan city until his high school graduation.

Born to a radio broadcaster and a school teacher, he was shy at first when he got to Manila and would only stick with people he was comfortable with.

“When I got to NU, I would only stick around with my teammates and just ask them how to do this, how to get there until I got used to things,” the oldest of four siblings said.

He now lives with his two sisters and his father Jupiter in Manila, and as a typical big brother, is the guardian of the two siblings.

“I would always talk to them, we’re very close,” Peter said. “Sometimes I ask them, ‘how’s life?’ or ‘how’s your love life?'”

With one of his sisters studying college at Our Lady of Fatima College in Antipolo and the younger in her third year of high school in NU High School, both of his sisters picked up the volleyball, though only momentarily.

“They had some liking but told me ‘but Kuya, it’s so tiring, I quit,’ like that,” Peter said. “But it’s fine, I don’t want to pressure them into liking the sport.”

Exchanging the ball for a pan

Currently on his fifth year of schooling, the Hotel and Restaurant Management student once preferred any course but decided that he liked to eat more than look through programming diagrams.

“I really like to cook, and my favorite is deep-fried adobo,” said the lanky student while demonstrating the frying motion in his arms. “It’s kind of hard to explain, but it’s tasty.”

With his class schedules happening from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and training sessions from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Peter can only salvage some rest in the evening.

“Mostly it’s training in the morning, school work in the afternoon, and rest in the evening,” said Peter, who would prefer sleeping than going out in the night.

An “OK” student, he said that it’s easy for him to pick up the lessons especially during the offseason.

With a heavier schedule compared to normal students, Peter admits that he manages to doze off during classes without having his 6-foot-3 frame getting noticed travelling to the sleep dimension.

“I sometimes sleep in class but I manage to avoid the professors through the help of my classmates who would nudge me awake when the professor comes near me.”

Bulldog assassin

Winning the Finals’ Most Valuable Player trophy in season 75, the volleyball star is not only good in the padded courts, but also in the cyber field.

With Defense of the Ancients his favorite computer game, and Traxex as his favorite avatar, Peter said that he emulates the style of his character into his play.

“Actually yes,” a confident Peter said when asked if he moves like the Drow Ranger. “They tell me that at times I’m just there in the court, standing and doing nothing, and in an instant, boom, I go for the kill and make a blank expression in my face after a point.”

Even with his nonchalant game face, Peter is an absolute competitor who always looks to one-up his opponents.

“I am very competitive, for example if I see someone who is better than me, I would do everything to be better than him,” the spiker said. “If he attacks strong, I’ll have to attack stronger.”

Reliable

With the shy Taclobanon now leading the way for the NU Spikers, his coach has summed up the leader in one word: “reliable.”

Head coach Dante Alinsunurin only has praise for his star student-athlete.

“I think Peter has a bright future in volleyball,” the head coach said. “Aside from his height, he’s very disciplined, eager to learn, and a fast learner.”

Coach Dante added that Peter does not only make himself better but also his teammates.

Despite his star’s athletic achievements, Coach Dante has been most impressed with Peter’s dedication to schooling.

“He is a good student, he makes sure that he will also excel in his academics and not purely on his game.”

Onto the next level

With his school looking up on him, and the SM supporters, Peter’s ultimate goal is to give NU the reputation of a distinguished institution.

“They built up NU as an ‘OK’ school, with an ‘OK’ student body, what I want is when we NU students go out, people would say, ‘oh they’re from NU, NU’s good.'”

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