DE LA SALLE team captain Kim Fajardo flaunted her resilient leadership that helped the Lady Spikers win the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 78 women’s volleyball tournament.
The team’s ace setter was in control throughout the match. And Fajardo proved she is not only one of the country’s best setters but one of the great leaders on the court.
“I never doubted my team. Team ko ito eh, hindi ito susuko,” said Fajardo, who led De La Salle’s Game three title-clinching victory with 51 excellent sets. “Gusto kong lumabas kami ng Araneta [Coliseum] na masaya at champion. Ayokong umalis ang mga seniors ng malungkot.”
Fajardo fulfilled her promise to her teammates, especially to graduating spikers Ara Galang, Mika Reyes, Cyd Demecillo, Mika Esperanza and Carol Cerveza. They scored a 19-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-26 triumph over archrival Ateneo de Manila in front of 22, 848 fans at the Big Dome to finish off the Lady Eagles.
“Para sa akin, ginawa ko ‘yung trabaho ko. Masasabi na nakapag-deliver ako at makakahinga na ng maluwag dahil napag-champion ko ang team ko as a captain,” she added.
It’s unusual for a setter to score a point and unleash a spike but Fajardo has been surprising everyone with her rare kills throughout the season.
She made one unconventional kill in Game three that woke her teammates up after they trailed, 10-1, in the first set.
“Ako as a captain kailangan ko gumawa ng way para buhayin sila kasi ayokong maglalaro kami ng ganun lang at ayoko umpisahan ng ganon,” said the season’s Best Setter, who also had six points on shocking spikes. “Captain ako kaya kailangan mag-step up kasi big game and it’s the last game of the season.”
Now that the trophy is back in Taft after two years, Head Coach Ramil de Jesus’s much-coveted ninth title is already in his hands and the graduating Lady Spikers exited with the prize.
“Sobrang saya, hindi ko ma-express kasi nag-uumapaw ang emosyon ko kasi ako kapag sinabi kong gusto kong manalo, talagang gagawin ko lahat para manalo,” Fajardo said.
Fajardo has one more year of eligibility but for now, she wants to savor the championship.