For Adamson, the challenge this season has never really been about whether it has enough talent to compete. The Lady Falcons have shown more than once in UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball that they can beat quality teams and stay within reach of the Final Four race.
The problem has been what comes after every good performance. Just when Adamson looks ready to build momentum, the rhythm breaks, leaving the team stuck in a pattern of starts and stops that has defined much of its campaign so far.
That is why Wednesday’s 25-17, 27-25, 25-16 win over Ateneo at the Smart Araneta Coliseum felt like more than just another result in the standings. For Shaina Nitura, it was another chance to show what Adamson can become — and another reminder of what still needs to improve.
At the center of that is consistency, a word that has become just as important to Adamson as any statistic or standing. Nitura knows that if the Lady Falcons want to become a legitimate threat in the latter part of the season, it has to begin with the habits they bring every game.
“Sa tingin ko po, the only thing naman na magagawa ko for the team is to be consistent as well. To start the consistency and do the work so that they can see it the work and makapagfollow din sila.” Nitura said.
“So I think yun yung pwede kong gawin to help the team be consistent.”
Nitura backed up those words with another commanding outing, finishing with 25 points in just three sets. It was the kind of performance that once again highlighted her ability to carry Adamson offensively whenever the team needs someone to settle the floor.
But what made her outing stand out even more was not just the total points — it was when and how she delivered them. In the tightly contested second set, where Ateneo threatened to shift the match’s momentum, Nitura stayed composed and made the right decisions in key moments to help Adamson survive the extended frame, 27-25.
That poise has become one of the clearest signs of her growth. While her rookie season was built largely on explosive scoring and record-setting numbers, this year has also shown a more measured and mature version of Nitura — one learning how to lead through both production and presence.
Still, she understands that Adamson’s ceiling will not depend on her alone. For all the bright spots the Lady Falcons have shown this season, they have yet to consistently put together the kind of complete team performances that can sustain a deep run.
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EYES ON THE FINAL FOUR
Shaina Nitura erupts for 25 points as Adamson moves into a share of fourth place.
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: UAAP Media
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“Very grateful naman [kami] on how my teammates and how the coaches respond [to losses]. Yun nga, laging win-loss-win-loss yung trend namin so, pero sinusubukan din naman namin na maging consistent to get more wins,” Nitura admitted.
“Siguro nagkataon nalang din yun sa schedule din yun. So we will try our best. It doesn’t matter naman samin yun eh, as long as we are playing at our best palagi and yung goal namin nakukuha namin, we’re achieving it, we’re fine with.”
That honesty reflects exactly where Adamson stands right now. At 5-4, the Lady Falcons are still firmly in the mix, but their position remains fragile in a season where one bad stretch can quickly undo weeks of hard work.
There is enough in their game to believe they can challenge anyone on the right day. The bigger test is whether they can make that level of play repeatable often enough to matter when the pressure intensifies.
Wednesday at least offered a glimpse of that possibility. Nitura received much-needed support from Frances Mordi, who chipped in 15 points to help keep Adamson balanced and less reliant on a one-player show.
That kind of secondary production may prove just as important as Nitura’s brilliance moving forward. In a tightly packed race, Adamson will need more than standout performances — it will need trust, timing, and enough consistency to finally string wins together.
For Ateneo, the defeat was another difficult result in a challenging campaign. The Blue Eagles were led by Zel Tsunashima, who scored nine points, but they struggled to keep up with Adamson’s sharper execution and steadier offense.
Now, the Lady Falcons turn their focus to another important test against a hungry UE side on Saturday, March 28, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. It is another opportunity for Adamson to prove that this latest win can be more than just another isolated step forward.
Because for a team still trying to define itself this season, the next breakthrough may not come from simply winning again. It may come from finally learning how to make those wins last.
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