Ateneo’s Kat Tolentino named UAAP Player of the Week

MANILA, Philippines – Kat Tolentino’s firepower could not be quenched as she proved to be crucial in the Ateneo Lady Eagles’ back-to-back wins in the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament last week. 

The tournament’s leading scorer unloaded a combined output of 41 points against the UST Golden Tigresses and the FEU Lady Tamaraws that merited her the Chooks-to-Go UAAP Press Corps Player of the Week honors.

Tolentino fired 22 points against UST in a four-set win as Ateneo bounced back from its season-opening loss to the La Salle Lady Spikers. 

She then bucked off a slow start in a five-set victory over FEU, erupting for 19 points despite tallying just 2 points in the first two sets. 

Ateneo admitted to struggling on the defensive end, but that has not stopped Tolentino from making up for it with her lethal attacks.

“For me, I realized that I can’t just stand there and tip the ball or hit it light. I have to go all out. I have to spike with power and how I normally do it,” said the Filipino-Canadian spiker.

Tolentino and rest of the Ateneo spikers will be greatly tested against the UE Lady Warriors’ vaunted floor defense led by Season 80 best digger and best receiver Kath Arado on Sunday, March 3, at the Araneta Coliseum.

Tolentino bested La Salle’s Michelle Cobb, UST’s Milena Alessandrini, and NU Lady Bulldogs rookie Ivy Lacsina for the weekly plum handed out by print and online scribes covering the beat. – Rappler.com