The tie that binds
It took a rookie setter to stitch together the talent in the La Salle roster and key the Lady Spikers’ return to glory in UAAP women’s volleyball.
“She was really the missing link for the team,” coach Ramil de Jesus said in praise of Eshana Nunag, who literally orchestrated a ‘Sweep 16’ season capped off by a 25-22, 25-16, 25-16 Game 2 ripping of National University on Saturday night before more than 22,500 screaming souls at the Mall of Asia Arena for the Lady Spikers’ 13th UAAP crown.
“She (has) finally arrived,” De Jesus added of Nunag, a brilliant 5-foot-8 facilitator who successfully pulled off what Julia Coronel and Mikole Reyes couldn’t do ever since Mars Alba graduated as the Lady Spikers’ setter after Season 85. “There were just a few things I needed to correct to polish her game.”
And with Nunag being just 18 and if the core of the La Salle arsenal—Angel Canino and Shevana Laput–decides to play another year, then next year’s title defense will stand on solid footing.
“I was tough on her (during the off-season),” De Jesus continued, admitting that he saw a gem in Nunag. “The good thing is, little by little, she kept learning and improved her (game) that even against veterans, she never got overwhelmed.
“I’m really happy because as a rookie, she was able to help lead the team to a championship,” De Jesus said after becoming the winningest UAAP coach across all sports, overtaking the late great Baby Dalupan, who won 12 titles with the University of the East program.
Nunag, who left the National U Nazareth School to go to La Salle in senior high, was just eager to learn from De Jesus and be of help in the Lady Spikers’ redemption tour.
Help from seniors
“I also stayed very focused on coach (De Jesus) because he corrected a lot of things in my game,” said Nunag in Filipino after dishing out 217 excellent sets in the title clincher. “I think a big factor was my willingness to accept all those corrections and the things I still needed to improve so I could help the team better.
“It also helped that I came here in senior high school (because) I was already being (integrated into) the system, so by the time I reached college and my first year, I was already familiar with how things worked,” she added.
Nunag attributed her solid rookie year to Canino, Laput and Amie Provido, who made the job easier for her and helped her thrive under pressure by staying on the same page.
“I also wouldn’t have made it this far without the help of my older teammates. All of us worked hard for this, not just me,” she said. “I saw how much everyone improved compared to past seasons. I’m really thankful for their support and guidance.”
The learning curve is over for Nunag. And that makes her more dangerous moving forward.
“It was my first UAAP season, I learned a lot and I know there’s still so much I can take with me into next year from playing against the other teams,” said Nunag.
