Adamson head coach Air Padda had good intentions when she opted to not include Jema Galanza, Eli Soyud, and Chiara Permentilla in her starting lineup against University of the East in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament.
The Lady Warriors, however, took issue from it and decided to retaliate after not seeing the three key Lady Falcons in front of them.
UE scored its first win of the season in four sets, 25-22, 22-25, 14-25, 25-20, 15-13, in a game wherein Shaya Adorador and Kat Arado let their actions ring true to their words.
“We felt that they took it easy on us because we didn’t see Galanza and Permentilla so we talked that the outside spikers aren’t on the floor,” said Adorador Sunday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
“So every single one of us stepped up and we told ourselves that ‘no team would be treated lightly, we can’t allow that.’”
For Arado, the reigning Best Digger, the absence of the three key Lady Falcons in the first set fired her up that she vowed that no ball would fall on their side of the floor.
Arado also thought of the sacrifices her team went through the season having lost their first six games of the tournament, and she wouldn’t allow the experience to be just thrown away.
“When I didn’t see them at the start, it really pushed me and I told my teammates I’ll get every ball thrown our way,” said Arado who had 24 excellent digs and 32 excellent receptions. “Our group has gone through so much and I can’t allow myself to see this game be lost.”
And Adorador, who averages 10.5 points per game, waited until the fifth set to finally throw her frustration at Adamson’s way.
The senior hitter had seven of her 11 points in the fifth set, with her 10th point coming off a block on Mylene Paat for Adamson’s 14-11 lead before finishing off the Lady Eagles with a soft off-speed kill.