Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
University of Santo Tomas middle blocker Ria Meneses said Sunday that it’s been her coaches’ incessant pushing that motivated her to put on a performance deserving of her Best Blocker award from a season ago in the UAAP.
Meneses helped the Golden Tigresses score a quick sweep of University of the Philippines, 25-20, 25-21, 25-16, at Mall of Asia Arena and take the third seed in the UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball tournament with an 8-5 slate.
“The coaches have been hard on me lately, and even my parents were egging me to become better,” said Meneses. “They were really on my ear after our game against La Salle.”
In the Tigresses’ three-set loss to the Lady Spikers, Meneses was nowhere near her Best Blocker form when she scored just one point and failed to register a block as UST lost, 25-23, 25-22, 25-21.
That all changed against the Lady Maroons when Meneses put up 10 points, eight of those coming off blocks.
And Meneses’ eight blocks were twice what the whole UP team produced.
“The coaches and my parents were always telling me to never lose hope and that I just have to play my own game,” said Meneses.