By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Silaynon Lorien Ysobel Gamboa has committed to join the women’s beach volleyball team of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses for the upcoming UAAP tournament next year.
According to UST women’s beach volleyball team coach Paul Jan Doloiras, the 18-year-old Gamboa has agreed to join the squad as they aim to extend their UAAP sand court dominance.
“We are glad that Lorien has committed to join the team,” Doloiras told Watchmen Daily Journal yesterday.
“Her volleyball talents will be a great help as we aim to extend our championship streak in the UAAP,” he added.
The 5-foot-8 Gamboa was no stranger to sand court action as she was playing for St. John’s Institute-Bacolod Lady Falcons’ beach volleyball team in the Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural Educational Association Meet and with De La Salle-Zobel Junior Archers in the UAAP juniors beach volleyball tournament.
Prior to joining UST, Gamboa played for De La Salle Lady Spikers’ beach volleyball team along with Baby Jyne Soreño in the Beach Volleyball Republic on Tour-Sipalay City leg in Negros Occidental.
Doloiras said Gamboa is one of his two new recruits for the upcoming title defense, aside from Misamis Oriental-native Sofia Shanine Pagara. They will join holdovers Gen Eslapor, Merry Rose Jauculan and Hannah Xyrah Cabansay.
“It will be the five of them who will battle it out for our upcoming UAAP campaign. But I am certain that it will be a healthy competition as all of them have the capabilities to represent the university well,” Doloiras said.
“The team is just continuing its preparation. We know that the other teams have also improved their teams, so we are doing our best to stay competitive and keep the UAAP women’s beach volleyball tiara in España,” he added.
The Golden Tigresses started their women’s beach volleyball reign in UAAP Season 79 behind the tandem of Cherry Rondina and Caitlyn Viray before the former teamed up with Babylove Barbon for their UAAP Season 80 and 81 title run.
Barbon, along with Eslapor, made it four in a row for the Golden Tigresses in UAAP Season 82 before they returned for the fifth straight championship in UAAP Season 85 late last year./ASC, WDJ