Ateneo great Alyssa Valdez and Adamson super rookie Shaina Nitura. Photos from PVL Media Bureau and UAAP MediaMANILA, Philippines – "Records are meant to be broken," they said, and that certainly happened last Sunday in the UAAP women's volleyball tournament.
Adamson University's super rookie Shaina Nitura shattered the previous scoring record of Ateneo de Manila University great Alyssa Valdez and University of Santo Tomas legend Sisi Rondina, notching 38 points against University of the Philippines in Season 87 at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
READ: UAAP: Shaina Nitura silent after record-setting 38-pt explosion goes for naught
Valdez and Rondina previously held the single-best scoring record in the collegiate league with 35 points.
But Valdez — the icon that she is — was pleased to see her best output get broken by Nitura.
READ: UAAP: UP outlasts Adamson in five-setter, spoils Nitura’s record-setting game
"Congratulations! It’s just so nice to this young girl really flying and performing so well in the UAAP," expressed Valdez.
"I hope she actually enjoys the sport more after beating all the records she’s gonna beat. Una pa lang 'yun — I’m sure marami pa."
The Creamline captain, as she hopes to see more of Nitura's scoring prowess, wants to see the Adamson pride stay hungry for volleyball glory.
"I hope she still enjoys the sport even after, and mas eager and hungry pa siya to learn more about volleyball."
READ: PVL: Valdez tows Creamline past Chery Tiggo for Game 1 win in QF
One common denominator for the three record-setting matches among Nitura, Valdez, and Rondina is that they were all done in defeats.
The Lady Falcons absorbed a five-set 15-25, 25-15, 26-24, 22-25, 10-15 loss against the Fighting Maroons to conclude Round 1 of the ongoing contest.
But for Valdez, it will serve as a jumping point — a lesson that will make someone, hopefully Nitura, a better and more resilient player.
"I think most ng lahat mga records na yun from a loss diba? For me, in my experience, it taught me a lot," the PVL standout said.
"Sometimes, as an athlete, definitely you want to end up with a win but sports teach us in a hard way, I mean, teach us things in a hard way," she went on.
"I hope mas bumangon siya, maging resilient siya after this loss and talagang pagbutihin niya pa and maging mas collective sila as a team to help each other most especially ang ganda din ng potential ng Adamson Lady Falcons," Valdez concluded.