There's no shortage of talent in Taft.
The De La Salle University Lady Spikers' pool of players in UAAP women's volleyball is deep—so deep that anyone can pluck out players off the bench and they'd be starters in other universities.
It's a cause of envy—maybe even hate—for supporters of the other seven UAAP universities. But the white and green Taft legion is very much happy with the status quo.
Another proof of this abundance of talent in Taft is Shevana Laput, the 6-foot-2 opposite spiker who played as a starter for the first time on Sunday, when La Salle completed its season sweep of the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons.
Laput scored 9 points in that game, the third highest for the Lady Spikers. The sister of Magnolia Hotshots center James Laput called playing as a starter for La Salle "an honor."
"It feels great. It shows that I've developed as a player, and the coaches trust my abilities to play as a first six. It's great, and it's an honor," Laput told media members after the game.
The league leaders' coaching staff has been expecting Laput's rise, and they expect to see more from her.
"Talagang tinutukan na namin siya. Expected namin na magde-deliver siya," La Salle deputy coach Noel Orcullo said.
"Kailangan naming mag-build ng confidence since patapos na ng second round. Kailangan namin i-build 'yung confidence niya [Laput] just in case pagdating ng semifinals, or makarating ng finals, nandoon na ‘yung confidence niya na anytime na gamitin siya, magde-deliver."
That is certainly bad news for the rest of the field.