Cassie Carballo. UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — University of Santo Tomas coach KungFu Reyes and team captain Eya Laure praised setter Cassie Carballo, whom she described as “always willing to learn” in distributing the offensive load in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament.
Reyes banked on Carballo in executing the plays and the 19-year-old setter didn’t disappoint, helping UST enter the win column with a 25-16, 28-26, 25-21 victory over Far Eastern University on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.
“Luckily our rookie delivered. She is a very promising kid,” said Reyes on his rookie from De La Salle Zobel, who haunted her former high school coach Tina Salak and the Tamaraws.
“She is willing to adopt our system and she is open to gaining additional knowledge whatever she gained from high school.”
Laure, who scored 17 points to bounce back from a five-set loss to La Salle, also lauded Carballo as the young playmaker eager to learn more things in her first collegiate stint.
“I’m happy to see that she is willing to absorb all the instructions of our coaches in training. She is willing to adopt the system that we have been using since high school,” Laure said in Filipino. “Even Cassie is a freshman you can see from her that she is really determined to learn and apply it in our games.”
Carballo had eight excellent sets including a set-clinching block on Alyzza Devosora in the second set as she also fed Jonna Perdido and Renren Penafiel to provide ample support to Laure with UST dominating FEU in attacking, 50-35.
“My ates keep on reminding me that I need to have a proper mindset every game. In terms of the scoring department, all of my teammates are reliable. That’s why it’s easier for me because I know that anyone from our team can score,” said Carballo in Filipino.
From playing for La Salle in high school to being a Tigress, Carballo is glad to have found her new home with the guidance of her coaches and teammates, especially Laure.
“I’m super happy because I got my first win in the collegiate. I want to thank my coaches because they keep on guiding me. Special thanks also to Ate Eya because she always reminds me not to be pressured and shake off the jitters,” she said.