Lady Spikers team captain Kim Fajardo. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
For coach Ramil de Jesus, reigning champion La Salle is coming in as the underdog in the UAAP Season 79 volleyball season which begins Feb. 4.
“All of them,” said De Jesus, when asked which team would pose as their biggest problem.
De Jesus said they set a high level of standard in the UAAP after unseating the Alyssa Valdez-led Ateneo Lady Eagles last April.
Observers also pick 15-time champion University of Santo Tomas and National University as title contenders because of their formidable rosters.
The Tigresses will have battle-tested Cherry Rondina, EJ Laure, Chloe Cortez and Ria Meneses, who played together in the Shakey’s V-League and for different clubs in the Philippine Superliga.
But the Lady Bulldogs will have Jaja Santiago on their side which practically tilted the balance in favor of NU, which last won in the 1956-57 season.
“All of them are excelling,” said De Jesus in Filipino. “We set this level of game so other teams were catching up. Now they reached this level and it’s our turn to catch up.”
He admitted that the loss of Mika Reyes, Ara Galang and Cyd Demecillo to graduation would take its toll on the Lady Spikers.
“We lost many players, it’s hard to match the character of Mika and Ara inside the court,” said De Jesus.
Nevertheless, he will still have top setter Kim Fajardo, who will play her her final tour of duty for La Salle as she finishes her post-graduate degree.
“Hopefully we reach at least 70 percent of our movements from last year,” said De Jesus. “We will try to reach their level but I still don’t know when.”
De Jesus could only hope they will just in time for the start of the UAAP season.