November 18, 2024

Former UST star Denise Tan's throwback post will give you major 'Hollaback Girl' feels

Former UST star Denise Tan
Instagram/Denise Tan

Before the reign of Queen Tigress Eya Laure, lest people forget, the UST Growling Tigresses had a myriad of elite players who later on became volleyball legends.

 

Mary Jean Balse-Pabayo easily comes to mind, as she led UST to successive stints in the Final Four in the UAAP and a championship. 

 

 There's also her former teammates, most notably Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Angeli Tabaquero, and Venus Bernal. 

 

 Of course, there's also Denise Tan. Now a courtside reporter and news anchor, she reminded everyone that the 2005 squad of the Growling Tigresses was one of the most stacked in college history.

 

 In the photo, taken at the old UST gym, were some of the best to ever don the UST jersey like Tan, Balse, Tabaquero, Bernal, Maizo-Pontillas, who remains lethal to this day with the Petro Gazz Angels in the PVL, and Lilet Mabbayad, among others.

 

 “Facebook hitting me with a major throwback,” Tan wrote on her Instagram Story on Monday.

 

We could hear Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl," which became a global hit in 2005, while ogling at the old picture.

UST, however, settled for a fourth-place finish that year after bowing to the De La Salle Lady Spikers in the Final Four.

But in 2007, the Growling Tigresses ended a decade-long spell and beat the FEU Tamaraws behind Balse, Bernal, Tabaquero, and Tan, who won the Best Setter award that season.

That 2005 squad led a string of six straight semifinals appearances for UST, which further cemented the university as a consistent title contender in the UAAP.

Tan and company may be walking different paths now, but for sure, they still cherish all the happy memories they formed as teammates.

(PM)

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