Alyssa Valdez knows the feeling of giving her all and setting records but coming up short as Shaina Nitura's historic 38-point record came as naught in UAAP Season 87.
Shaina Nitura etched herself into the record books after her 38-point performance for the Adamson Lady Falcons in the UAAP Season 87.
However, the 20-year-old high flyer’s record came with a bitter pill—a five-set heartbreak against the UP Fighting Maroons, 25-15, 15-25, 24-26, 25-22, 15-10, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City last Sunday, March 16.
Nitura surpassed the previous record of 35 points, originally set by Ateneo Blue Eagles legend Alyssa Valdez in Season 75. The record was later matched by former UST Golden Tigresses superstar Sisi Rondina in Season 81.
While the defeat stung, Valdez had some words of wisdom for the young Lady Falcon, understanding the weight of such an achievement.
The Creamline superstar reminded Nitura that this was only the beginning of what would be an illustrious volleyball career.
"It’s just so nice to see this young girl really flying and performing so well in the UAAP. I hope she actually enjoys the sport more after beating all the records she’s gonna beat,” Valdez told reporters after the match.
“Una pa lang ‘yun—I’m sure marami pa. But I hope she still enjoys the sport even after and mas eager and hungry pa siya to learn more about volleyball.”
There’s another thing Nitura shares with Valdez and the previous record-holders—they all set their career-highs in losses.
When Valdez first broke the record in 2013, her 35-point outing wasn’t enough to save Ateneo from a five-set defeat against Adamson.
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Now, more than a decade later, Nitura finds herself in a similar situation.
But for Valdez, that’s exactly where the biggest lessons in sports come from.
"I think most ng lahat ng records na ‘yun from a loss diba? So it teaches us. For me, in my experience, it taught me a lot. Sometimes as an athlete, definitely you want to end up with a win, but sports teach us things in a hard way. So I hope mas bumangon siya, maging resilient siya after this loss and talagang pagbutihin niya pa."
[ALSO READ: Alyssa Valdez reveals the one volleyball superstar she wishes she had faced in her career]
More than individual brilliance, Valdez emphasized the importance of team growth, highlighting Adamson’s promising potential.
"I hope maging mas collective sila as a team to help each other, most especially ang ganda din ng potential ng Adamson Lady Falcons.”