Meneses, De Leon marvel at Morado’s prowess

Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Jia Morado is officially Ateneo’s Queen Eagle.

After Ateneo notched its sixth straight win at the expense of University of the Philippines, 25-15, 25-14, 25-15, the other Lady Spikers couldn’t help but be enthralled with Morado.

“She makes volleyball a lot easier for us because almost 100 percent of the time the ball will go the setter,” said middle blocker Bea De Leon Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“Everything starts with her and it’s the setter that really carries the team and she’s probably the only person that thinks that way,” De Leon added.

Morado had 38 excellent sets in their match against the Lady Maroons as they improved to 7-1, the best record in the UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball tournament.

Even assistant coach Sherwin Meneses, a setter himself during his playing days, praised Morado for her ability to make everything easier when she’s on the floor.

“Of course there are players that are just born good, that’s true because when I was still a student I wasn’t that good,” said Meneses, who played for Adamson University. “Jia’s instinct as a setter is just different from others and she can make any play from any bad reception.”

“She’s just that good,” Meneses added.

Morado, though, isn’t too keen about being on the spotlight.

“I think I’ve been playing volleyball for a long time and it’s just the experience,” said Morado. “Every time in training, each ball my teammates receive I try to make something out of that so the next player can get a clean hit.”