Graduating Sisi Rondina raring to lead UST in Final Four

Cherry Rondina. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Cherry Rondina is one of the UAAP’s most prolific superstars having won the Best Scorer award in Season 80 but that’s the only hardware the superstar from University of Santo Tomas has at this point in her career.

In her first four years in the league, Rondina reached the Final Four just once back in Season 79 when the Tigresses lost to eventual champion De La Salle.

Rondina, though, will have another shot at a championship after the Golden Tigresses clinched a Final Four spot in the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.

UST ended the match day in the third spot of the standings following a straight sets romp of Far Eastern University, 25-23, 25-18, 25-23, for a 9-4 record.

Rondina, who’s in her final playing year, has longed for the team trophy and she said she’s constantly reminded her younger teammates to have the same fighting attitude that she has.

“I’m always dreaming of getting that championship and I’m always reminding my teammates that, I will do anything that’s needed to show that I really want to play for UST,” said Rondina in Filipino.

“To the kids I always ask them, ‘Are you with me?’ that we should be united as one and I hope that they can give me a great exit.”

Rondina, the league’s leading scorer with a total of 238 points, was as potent as ever against the Lady Tamaraws with 21 points on 17 attacks, one block, and three service aces.

Apart from her individual performance, though, Rondina knew her words did not fall on deaf ears.

“The good thing about this is my teammates are super responsible, they’re listening, they’re helping each other and this Final Four spot is the result of our hard work,” said Rondina.

“It’s as if they’re just beside me and I was just telling them on what they should do and they were responding well. Coming to this arena, I was telling them that we will win and we will get to the Final Four.”