MANILA, Philippines – One of the most experienced players in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament is someone likely most fans have never even heard of.
Jillian Santos, a member of the US NCAA’s University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) for the last three years, finally made her mark in the UAAP seniors division as contending La Salle shuffled its rotation around in its 25-22, 25-13, 25-23 sweep of winless UE on Saturday, April 5.
Santos, who played for vaunted NU and UST in high school and Ateneo as a seniors COVID reserve in 2022, tallied 6 points on 15 attack attempts to help the Lady Spikers get a firmer hold of the second spot with an 8-3 record ahead of fellow contenders UST (7-4) and FEU (6-4).
Though her NCAA Division I experience has not had a chance to make a definitive mark so far for La Salle, Santos has taken the benchings in stride as she zones in on the Lady Spikers’ bigger cause of winning a championship.
“I’m grateful to have a lot of experience playing volleyball. I think I’ve been in my adjustment process, adapting to a new system of play. The thing that keeps me going is my teammates, first and foremost, and I have full trust in my coaches. We’ve been working hard every day, in and out of the gym,” she said.
“At the end of the day, whenever I’m needed, I hope I’ll be able to contribute to the team and help further their success,” added the UIC graduate, who soared to summa cum laude honors in BS Psychology, minor in Biological Sciences.
La Salle captain Angel Canino, meanwhile, expounded on the importance of getting rare yet meaningful minutes for the bench since role players are always expected to instantly be ready whenever the stars are having bad games or suffering from injuries.
“Individually, it’s so important for our teammates who are not being used much since they get confidence in themselves that when their numbers are called, they can perform,” the former UAAP MVP said in Filipino.
“Every single one of us has the skills, and when they get to showcase them in-game, we (the starters) feel how great they feel. We feel their confidence, and we’re happy with that. At the same time, they earn the coaches’ confidence as they prove they can handle game time when they’re fielded in.”
Santos likely will not get the same leash she had against UE as La Salle next faces more established teams to end the elimination round, as she is the third-string outside hitter behind veterans Canino and Alleiah Malaluan.
Still, the Lady Spikers got to see that Santos’ prior experience did not go for naught and that, when the time comes for additional help, she will confidently answer the coaches’ call once again. – Rappler.com