Under shadow of top-notch setters, Miranda finds space to shine

The FEU Lady Tamaraws in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament. –UAAP PHOTO

It is understandable why Karyll Miranda has had to spend most of her rookie year on the sidelines for Far Eastern. After all, she plays back up to Tin Ubaldo, one of the country’s top amateur setters.

The Lady Tamaraws are now running second in the elimination round of the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament, thanks in large part to Ubaldo setting the plays. But credit should also go to Miranda, who ably took over when Far Eastern’s starting playmaker had an off-night on Wednesday.

Skills-wise, Miranda has nothing to worry about, and she can learn plenty from Lady Tamaraws coach, Tina Salak, one of the country’s most renowned setters ever, who gave the young one the chance against University of the East.

“Every game, I tell [my players] that they have an opportunity to play,” Salak said after a 25-20, 25-20, 25-23 victory over the Lady Red Warriors, where Miranda had 17 excellent sets in leading the Tamaraws to their sixth win in nine games.

“It’s up to them if they will deliver or not,” said Salak, who understandably puts a lot more pressure on her setters.

Taking wheel

“It doesn’t mean that (being) the second setter [Miranda gets to relax],” Salak said of her rookie. “She also has a role because [my setters] have a big responsibility. Of course, I drive both of them a lot.”

With the break she got, Miranda has just assured Salak that she could one day be trusted to run the Morayta squad’s offense.

Ubaldo delivered just five excellent sets out of 49 attempts, leaving the wheel to Miranda, who drove the Far Eastern offense efficiently.

“This is a big opportunity because I seldom get to play,” the freshman setter said. “I am looking forward for us to be able to perform [better] in the next games.”

“I am looking forward to learning more from both of them because like what coach Tina said, we get to carry the team. As long as there is still time, Tin (Ubaldo) and I help each other on what we need to do,” she added.

Far Eastern hopes that it will only get better with five more games still left before the Final Four, where a 1-2 finish would mean a win-once advantage.

But defending champion National University is up next, and Far Eastern would need to be extra careful against the Lady Bulldogs, who will come into their game smarting from their first loss of the season.

And that will be pressure at the highest level, a dog fight as the Tamaraws are deadset on clinging to No. 2 at least.

“We will definitely play with pressure because it will always be there,” Miranda said. “It’s up to you to find a way to overcome it.”