Defense-to-offense shift hasn’t slowed Hilongo
An important part of a good story is having unexpected twists and turns to it. Beth Hilongo’s journey has just that.
And she’s not planning on wasting the chance that she has.
“[Playing for UST] feels good. I am happy because the coaches really have a lot of trust in me,” Hilongo told the Inquirer in Filipino. “They saw a potential in me, especially this season, where they turned me into an outside hitter.”
The sophomore Golden Tigress spent her first playing year as the backup libero to Santo Tomas captain Detdet Pepito. But with UST losing important hitters Xyza Gula and Jonna Perdido in the offseason, Hilongo was tapped to switch her focus to offense.
“I had a lot of adjustments, as well as the coaches. They really worked to help me,” she said. “I just enjoyed [the process] and embraced it fully so that I can do what they want me to do with less difficulty.”
“At first, I found it difficult playing the outside hitter position that I really wasn’t familiar with. Coach KungFu [Reyes] told me to just embrace that position and we’ll take care of the rest, and until now I still take that to heart.”
With Pepito fulfilling her duties really well, Hilongo didn’t see a lot of action in UST’s silver-medal run last year. She’s getting a lot more court time with her new designation.
And she’s been proving her worth, playing her role sufficiently behind prime options Angge Poyos, Regina Jurado and rookie Marga Altea.
And she did so again in Santo Tomas’ 25-15, 26-24, 26-24 victory over Ateneo, only the second straight-sets win for UST this season, on Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.
So far, Hilongo’s career-best showing this season was a 17-point performance in a losing cause to Far Eastern U, where she also flaunted her defensive roots with 11 digs and nine excellent receptions.
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Against the Blue Eagles, she showed her ability to contribute on both ends after topping her 11 excellent receptions with eight points.
“I always give my hundred percent. It’s just that we all have bad days [on offense] that we cannot avoid, so I just find other ways how to help in the game,” Hilongo said. “Like when I don’t have an attack, I compensate by playing defense to help the team.”
Although Hilongo is adjusting well to her new role, it doesn’t mean that she has ditched her libero instincts. And her nose for the ball is proving to be an asset, not only to her but also to the rest of the team.
“It’s a big thing for me because I only need to think about my attack when I am at the front. When I am at the back, I can definitely help the defense,” she said.
Santo Tomas is nearing the tail end of its elimination assignments. It improved to a 7-4 card to move up to No. 3, good enough for the semifinals. But the Tigresses still have a shot for a better position to clinch one of the twice-to-beat bonuses available.
“We just need to [perform] as a team … because it’s difficult if only one or two people will work,” Hilongo said. “We really need teamwork to reach our goal.”
