Shiela Kiseo was one of the players who were the talk of the town even before entering the UAAP volleyball scene in 2020 with her exploits in high school and she showed it in her first two games with Far Eastern University.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic swept away her supposed rookie season aside. Nonetheless, this did not dampen the spirits of the young Cebuana.
Come her first full season, Kiseo stepped onto the SM Mall of Asia Arena with a new-look jersey -- an underlined one and its inclusive responsibility
"No'ng nag-start yung year, no'n pong bago mag-start yung Season 84 ng UAAP, nong si coach George [Pascua] pa 'yung coach namin Siya talaga 'yung nagbigay ng trust sa akin, which is hindi ko rin naman inexpect. So, yung ginawa ko lang is tinanggap ko lang siya. Sinabi ko na baka may nakikita si coach na hindi ko nakikita sa 'kin," the senior Lady Tamaraw shared.
"Nagpapasalamat ako kay coach George [Pascua] no'n, even na third-year pa lang ako no'n, hindi pa ko senior. So, ngayon, nung dumating na si coach Tina [Salak], nakita ko rin na ang laki rin ng tiwala ni coach Tina sa 'kin, which is hindi ko dapat sasayangin."
That trust was a huge one as the legendary setter Salak, who is now FEU's head coach, thrusts Kiseo into a new role as the team's libero.
"Nung spiker pa ko tapos the next game ginawa akong leader, parang na-shock rin ako no'n pero sinabvi ko lang sa sarili ko non na kailangan ko lang tanggapin kung saan man ako nakikitaan ni coach ng may opportunity na mas nakalatulong sa team," the newly converted defensive specialist shared.
The former Cebu Governor's Cup MVP, though in a more subdued role on the court numbers-wise, can still be seen as a vocal presence as, after all, she is still one of the squad's 'ate.'
"Yung experiences ko yun yung nagbibigay sa 'kin ng improvement, yung growth, kung paano ko mag-accept ng mga downs ko, kung paano ko i-handle 'pag nada-down ako. Ngayon, masasabi ko na parang naging mature ako and nakakatulong rin ako sa mga teammates ko 'pag sila yung nakaka-experience na down, nagsasabi sila sa 'kin as an ate," she said.
"Andito lang din naman ako para sa kanila."
