Adamson Lady Falcons’ Lucille Almonte (middle) in her final UAAP women’s volleyball game. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Adamson may have missed the Final Four, but Lucille Almonte and Karen Verdeflor hoped to have shown the good qualities of a Lady Falcon to their younger teammates in possibly their last collegiate stint in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament.
The Lady Falcons ended their Season 86 campaign with a tough 25-13, 25-17, 25-21 loss to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, finishing with a 3-11 card on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Almonte and Verdeflor as well as Nika Yandoc likely played their final UAAP game as Adamson failed to sustain its momentum from the bronze medal finish last year due to the departure of players like Trisha Tubu, Kate Santiago and Louie Romero to the pros at Farm Fresh in the PVL.
READ: UAAP volleyball: Adamson wants to finish season on high note
Adamson even lost graduating middle blocker Lorene Toring last January a month before the season, which was a big blow to the school’s campaign.
Despite the disappointing finish, Almonte hopes that she proved to be a good example to her teammates as she decided stayed with the school amid the rebuilding status of her squad.
“I feel like the legacy I can bring is my being a real Adamsonian. We’re fighters,” said Almonte. “Despite everything that happened with the team and the sacrifices as a senior amid a rebuilding team, I’m grateful that I stayed because people saw that we fought until the end.”
Adamson Lady Falcons wrap up their UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball campaign. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
It wasn’t a fitting senior year for Almonte, who is still has years of eligibility left, as her role was reduced from one of the go-to scorers to a bench player but she didn’t have any regrets about staying with the Lady Falcons.
“I’m grateful this season because we didn’t have injuries and we ended it as a whole. Coach Yude and the other coaches continued to remind us to fight. My heart is happy that we’re able to finish this season safe.”
“Hopefully next season we can show results fronm the experiences and opportunities we gained this year,” she added.
For Verdeflor, Adamson’s record won’t define the team’s character as the Lady Falcons never stopped fighting despite losing nine of their last 10 games.
“We hope the future players can bring the fight that we showed this season,” Verdeflor said. “My character was really tested this year among the remaining seniors. There’s a lot I can bring from this season to the next chapters of our careers.”
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Almonte and Co. will be focusing on their studies first, hoping to earn a college diploma before pondering their next career move.
