Rookie Angeline Poyos continues to impress for UST
UST Tigresses’ Angeline Poyos. MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Angeline Poyos is eager to show maturity beyond years as University of Santo Tomas ushers in a new era after the departure of Eya Laure and other senior Tigresses.
The incoming rookie from UST High School has been turning heads in the Shakey’s Super League National Invitationals with a 29-point explosion in their 25-22, 18-25, 25-14, 24-26, 24-26 loss at the hands of UAAP champion La Salle in the knockout semifinals last week.
Poyos sustained her fine play with 13 points, leading the Tigresses to a vengeful 25-15, 25-22. 25-15 win over the University of Perpetual Help Lady Altas as the Tigresses closed in on the bronze medal on Wednesday at FilOIl EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
For the 19-year-old Poyos, it’s her way of repaying the trust of coach KungFu Reyes, who is pinning his hopes on the young guns to fill in the void left by back-to-back UAAP top scorer Laure and other key cogs Imee Hernandez, and Milena Alessandrini.
“Gaya nga po ng sinabi ni coach hindi niya kami binitawan. Sa part naming mga players, hindi namin siya bibiguin o bibitawan. Siyempre nawala yung ibang seniors o sila ate Eya, ang dami pa po. Sa part ko, need ko mag-perform kahit rookie pa lang po ako,” said Poyos.
(Coach promised us that he won’t give up on us. So for us players, we don’t want to let him down. Of course, we lost a lot of seniors like Ate Eya. For my part, I need to perform even though I am a rookie.)
Reyes was hardly surprised by what Poyos has been able to show in the national tournament after displaying her potential in the previous UAAP Season 85 girls’ volleyball tournament.
UST Tigresses’ Angeline Poyos. MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
“Hindi naman kami nagugulat sa ganoonng output nagiging mas masaya kami kasi nakikita namin yung transition niya from high school to college,” said Reyes of his recruit from Bohol.
“Yung mga homegrown talents namin, hindi man maganda yung debut last season sa juniors pero makikita mo na kayang ilaban That’s why hindi namin sila binibitawan. Nainstill na namin yung skills at disipilina. Nakikita namin na hindi kami nagkamali doon sa [pagpili sa kanila] hinihintay namin sila mahinog at magbunga lahat ng pinaghirapan.”
(We’re not surprised with her output. We’re happy to see her transition from high school to college. Our homegrown talents may not have had a good debut last juniors tournament but we saw that they can fight that’s why we didn’t give up on them. We’re not wrong in keeping them on our team we’re just waiting at the right time for them to unlock their full potential from all their hard work and sacrifices.)
Poyos is determined to keep on improving as UST ramps up its build-up for next year’s UAAP Season 86.
“Most of us are rookies and the women’s volleyball team lost a lot of players. We still have a lot of lapses but we’re trying our best to work it out and correct it in practice,” she said in Filipino.
Poyos and the Tigresses try to clinch bronze in Game 2 on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the same venue.
