Sisi Rondina tells UST Tigresses: Stay hungry, composed

UST Golden Tigresses in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament. – UAAP PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — With the University of Santo Tomas inching a win closer to a first-round sweep, former Tigresses star Sisi Rondina urges the team to keep its feet on the ground and remain eager to take the school to greater heights in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament.

The Tigresses have won their first six games to tie the school’s best start in Season 73 when Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Rhea Dimaculangan were the cornerstone players of the team.

UST eyes a perfect first round — for the first time since the 2006-07 season — against Adamson on Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

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Rondina, a former UAAP MVP who led UST to the UAAP Finals where the Tigresses fell to Ateneo in Season 81, wants the current batch of Tigresses to stay hungry.

“Maging composed lang sila  and kailangan nilang isipin kung ano yung goal ng team and wag lumimot sa mga taong tumulong and ipakita nila kung ano yung meron sa UST,” the reigning PVL All-Filipino Conference MVP told reporters after keeping Choco Mucho unbeaten in four games.

FILE–Sisi Rondina during her time with the UST Tigresses in the UAAP. 

The 5-foot-6 spiker is proud of the Tigresses after proving they can overcome height disadvantage by slaying the finalists of the past two UAAP Finals, defending champion La Salle and National University.

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“I’m very proud of them kasi pinapakita nila na hindi pisikalan yung volleyball talaga kundi yung puso at yung passion sa isa’t isa and kung paano din nila nilalaban yung UST community,” she said.

Although she is impressed by their hot start, Rondina hopes the Tigresses will continue striving to be better heading into the second round in their daunting mission to end a 14-year championship drought 

“Sana magtuloy tuloy hanggang matapos kasi ang layo ng mararating nila pag ganun yung ipeperform nila,” said Rondina.