“Wakanda Forever!”
That became the mantra of Adamson University when it stunned defending champion De La Salle, 25-18, 15-25, 25-19, 25-22, in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament.
Head coach Air Padda, who watched the blockbuster film Black Panther the night before their Saturday match, said she saw inspiration on how women warriors protected King T’Challa of Wakanda and she wanted her own girls to embody that courage.
“There’s nothing but badass women protecting the king, they’re so badass,” said Padda Saturday at Filoil Flying V Centre. “They’re so empowering, I wanted the girls to embody that, embrace it because we can use it.”
And the Lady Falcons heeded their coach’s call as they did the “Wakanda Forever” stance almost every time they scored a point.
Of all the 13 players Adamson has in its roster, no one embodied the Wakandan spirit more than Eli Soyud.
Soyud, who was the only Adamson player, who has watched Black Panther, paved the way for the Lady Falcons with 18 points as if sending a statement to her former team.
“I regained the trust I have in myself, the coaches’ trust in me seemed whole because now I can help the team even better,” said Soyud in Filipino.
“I’m so proud of Eli, people underestimated her but I never underestimated her,” said Padda. “She’s capable of a lot, and she’s from La Salle. It’s emotional for us because if the school, because for Adamson, this is big, we’re making history. For her, there’s an emotional connection. I wanted this win for her.”