UST Golden Tigresses’ Marga Altea in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Wearing the iconic No.8 for University of Santo Tomas is inspiring rookie Marga Altea to work harder in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament.
Carrying the legacy of the No.8 jersey once worn by the team’s brightest products namely Eya Laure and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Altea is eager to create her own mark but remains patient with her progress as a converted starting outside spiker for the Tigresses.
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“Of course, Ate Eya and [Ate Aiza] made their legacies. What I want is to create my own. legacy. I hope soon. But I’m working on that right now,” Altea told Inquirer Sports in Filipino.
The UST high school product said she wore No.8 because she sees Laure, also an Alas Pilipinas star, as he idol.
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“Ate Eya is my idol that’s why I wore No.8. My birthday is also 26, which I can’t wear so I just combined both numbers,” she said.
UST Golden Tigresses in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament against UP Fighting Maroons. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRer.net
Altea, a former high school Best Middle Blocker, has been impressive as an outside spiker, scoring nine points to help UST extend its winning streak to four with a 25-11, 25-23, 23-25, 25-12 victory over the University of the Philippines on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena,
The 19-year-old rookie, filling in the void left by injured Jonna Perdido, always makes sure to have the right mindset for her to contribute to the Tigresses, who made her transition from girls to seniors easier.
READ: UAAP: Perfect week for UST volleyball teams
“The mindset is really important because it’s the biggest challenge for any player. Even if you’re skilled, even if your moves are good, if you don’t have the right mindset, it won’t translate into a good game,” she said.
Altea has been using her former position to her advantage as Angge Poyos’ fellow outside spiker.
“The advantage [of being converted from middle blocker] to wing spiker is that it’s easier to read the opponent’s moves. You just need one step or one adjustment. Unlike the middle, where you have to cover all the spikers. In the wings, you only have to watch one person,” she said.
After helping UST to a 4-1 record, Altea believes she’s still a work in progress.
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“I’m still not there yet. I need to work harder in training because I’m not completely satisfied with my performance. I know that at the collegiate level, the demands for skills are much higher, so I still need to push myself more. I won’t ignore my small wins, though,” she said.
