‘Kahit 2%’ Tina Salak, FEU Lady Tamaraws get one more shot in UAAP Final Four chase

It was a chance they wanted, but it's a fighter’s chance they got.

On the ropes during their last game of the elimination rounds, Far Eastern University succeeded in throwing a huge counterpunch to turn the tide in its favor and take down Ateneo de Manila University in reverse sweep fashion.

READ MORE | UAAP: FEU completes reverse sweep vs Ateneo, awaits NU-UST result in women's volleyball

Doing everything they could to keep the possibility of a fourth place playoff open, the Green and Gold could only wait for the game result between possible opponents University of Santo Tomas and National University.

Before the dust had settled and UST dropped their final second round game against NU–which meant that there would be a fight for the last Final Four spot–Lady Tamaraws head coach Tina Salak remained optimistic and shared her thoughts on how they would possibly approach a key game against the Golden Tigresses.

“Kahit 2%. Ngayon 'di ba parang binibigyan pa kami ng 2% kasi nanalo pa kami. Kung nagkaroon kami ng mas malaki pang chance, we'll take it. Without any questions, without any reasons kasi ito 'yun eh. Ito 'yung ito 'yung pinaghandaan namin for 88,” said the head coach after a hard earned win against the Blue Eagles.

“But definitely going against UST on Saturday, ano na 'yun eh, pusuan na. But for me it's more of, kailangan one thing. Kung ano ba talaga gusto namin. Dapat lahat kami pare-pareho,” she asserted.

(Even just a 2% chance. Now, we seem to be given 2% because we were able to win. If we can have a bigger chance, we'll take it. Without any questions, without any reasons, because this is it. This is what we've been preparing for in Season 88... But definitely going against UST on Saturday, it's all about heart. But for me it's more of, what do we really want. We should all want the same thing.)

Also reflecting on the test given to them by Ateneo, Salak was grateful that her team cleared a challenging obstacle in the hopes of extra improvement.

“I'm very thankful to Ateneo na nangyari 'yung game today. Kasi kung hindi, magiging stagnant nalang kami…So we have to help the players to realize na lahat ng nangyayari 'to as a team, kailangan namin talagang mag-step up,” said Salak.

“Maturity-wise, 'yung building character-wise…Intentional lahat ng laro, intentional lahat ng galaw. So lahat merong direction. Meaning to say, sa coaches side, kailangan namin i-push pa sila to their limit,” she added.

(I'm very thankful to Atneo for what happened in the gam today. Without it, we would've been stagnant. So we have to help the players realize that everything that happens, as a team, we need to step up... Maturity-wise, building character-wise... Every game must be intentional, every move must be intentional. Everything has a direction. Meaning to say, on the coaches' side, we need to push them to the limit.)

Without knowing what fate had in store for them at the time, Salak dwelled on the demands of playing late season volleyball and what it takes to extend their run in Season 88.

“Ang [message] ko lang sa mga players namin is don’t hold back. Eto na ‘yun eh, do-or-die,” acclaimed the Lady Tamaraws mentor.

“Step ladder na nga 'yung sitwasyon, hindi 'to pagandahan ng gising. Pagandahan 'to ng prep mentally and physically. So kailangan namin i-prep din 'yung mga players namin doon.”

(My message to our players is don't hold back. This is it, do-or-die. The situation is a stepladder. This isn't about who woke up in a better mood. This is about who prepared mentally and physically. So we need to prep our players there.)

—JMB, GMA News