Isa Molde on UAAP Season 80+

Last Sunday, at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center during the men’s basketball game between UP and Adamson, we chatted with a cheerful Isa Molde, outside hitter for UP Lady Fighting Maroons, about her thoughts on Season 80 and the preparations for the next season.

“The season ended with a message of hope for us as a team. Toward the end of the first round, we slowly found our rhythm and game. We like the fact that we ended strong and with that big win against Ateneo. This summer, one of the objectives is to build on what we gained so we can level up in the next season.”

A number of volleyball analysts credit the firing up of Isa, Season 78 Rookie of the Year, in UPWVT’s resurgence. While teammate Tots Carlos remains a solid powerhouse for UPWVT and is a top scorer in the league, Isa’s return to form gave UP the points to help tilt games in their favor.

“I’m happy that I played better but this isn’t just me – many others also performed better. Jessma Ramos and Marist Layug gave us a presence in the middle. Rem (Cailing) delivered when she played as setter. Many others in the team put in a lot of work. It really feels good to play well. The challenge for me now is to be consistent.”

Aside from building skills, power, consistency, and strategy, Isa touched on the value of inner strength. “Confidence is such a difficult thing,” she noted in the vernacular. “It is easy to talk about being confident but you have to really believe in yourself and go out and get things done. When you are confident, you can do a lot of things.”

“Right now, UP is in summer training. There’s an excitement in the team. The rookies are there. We feel that with the additions, we will have an even stronger team.”

In the next UAAP season, Isa will be among UPWVT’s veteran players. With a boost in consistency and confidence, she will definitely continue to be a force to be reckoned with.