SETTERS took center stage in the second week of the UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments — two of whom shone in their respective squads' strong runs of form midway through the first round of prelims play.
University of Santo Tomas' sophomore playmaker Cassie Carballo embodied grace under pressure in orchestrating a five-set comeback win over Far Eastern University to still stand tall as the last unbeaten team in the women's tilt at 4-0.
With 25 excellent sets and eight points on five aces and three attacks to her name, Carballo earned the nod from college scribes as the Collegiate Press Corps' UAAP Player of the Week presented by San Miguel Corporation for the period of February 28 to March 3.
"Sobrang thankful din ako na nandyan [teammates ko] for me kasi nung first and second sets, medyo nawawala ako. Ang tagal kong uminit, kumbaga. Sinabi ko talaga sa sarili ko na bumawi ng third, fourth, and fifth sets, Carballo said.
"Ang dami pa naming kailangang i-polish talaga. 'Di pa namin naaabot 'yung standard na gusto namin at gusto ng coaches. 'Yun pa rin po 'yung tina-trabaho namin araw-araw."
The Tigresses' go-to orchestrator bested fellow Thomasian ace Angge Poyos, La Salle's Thea Gagate, NU's Bella Belen, Ateneo's Lyann De Guzman, and Adamson's Barbie Jamili for the weekly honor also backed by minor sponsors Discovery Suites and Jockey.
Meanwhile, UAAP's reigning best setter and Finals MVP Joshua Retamar waxed hot for the NU Bulldogs not only in setting up plays but also in firing the shots himself.
Retamar dished out 31 excellent sets in NU's four-set rout of Adamson prior to a career-high 12 points and 20 excellent sets in a sweep of UP, steering the Bulldogs to back-to-back victories.
As one of the Bulldogs' senior figures, Retamar did lead by example and went out to prove that his steady hands can be lethal on the floor in more ways than one.
"Iniisip ko lang talaga, syempre, senior ako sa team namin. 'Di pwede yung set, kailangan din magperform ng block, ng depensa, sa serve and syempre, pinagkatiwalaan ako ni coach eh. 'Di ko sasayangin 'yun," said Retamar after beating FEU's Andrei Delicana, La Salle's JM Ronquillo, and UST's Josh Ybañez for the men's Player of the Week plum.
"Unti-unti pong naga-adjust 'yung team namin from talo namin sa UST [at] binubuo po ulit namin yung team namin."