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[av_heading heading=’BUZZER BEATER | Dream like Daquis’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
By ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Wednesday, April 12, 2017
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RACHEL Anne Daquis was then just a tall girl with zero volleyball skills until the Far Eastern University took a gamble on her – a gamble that bore one UAAP championship and her rise in the women’s volleyball arena in the country.
In a speech delivered during her jersey retirement at the FEU campus recently, the 5-foot-10 Daquis said she was a “late bloomer” in the sport as she entered the Lady Tamaraws with zero spiking and serving skills.
“Nangangarap lang ‘din ako makapasok at makapaglaro para sa isang university. Noong araw na ‘yun, hindi ako binigo ng FEU,” said Daquis. “Gusto ko rin sana mag-UST pero noong time na ‘yun, tamang-tama wala yung UST team sa campus nila.”
“Naalala ko noon kapag nakikita ko ‘yung teammates ko naiiyak ako kasi sila marurunong na. Hindi ako marunong mag-spike, mag-serve,” added the Cignal HD Spikers player.
“So from there alam ko na I had to work for it. May dream ako, kailangan kong tiyagain. Very thankful ako kasi may coaches ako na believed in me, that pushed me kahit akala ko di ko na kaya,” she recalled.
The Taytay, Rizal-native Daquis added that she worked her way from being a bench warmer in her rookie season to becoming part of the starting six in the sophomore year, where she won her first Best Setter award.
“Sabi ko nga sa coaches ko, ‘coach baka binigyan lang ako ng award kasi nacu-cute-an sila sa akin.’ Sabi nila na deserve ko naman daw pero hindi ako agad naniniwala,” Daquis said.
“Until mapanalunan ko siya noong third year ko ulet saka ko lang tinanggap na may talent pala ako,” added Daquis, who was tapped to play for the national team several times.
“I’m very thankful kasi nabigyan ako ng FEU ng chance to improve myself and to prove myself. Dito ko nagkaroon ng chance to make my parents proud – nakita ng parents ko how I worked from hindi ako marunong up to nakakalaro na ako ng maayos.”
“Gusto ko sanang maging inspiration sa inyo [FEU athletes]. Na magtiyaga, mag-strive, and always reach for your goals. Walang imposible. Kailangan lang talaga tiyagain,” she concluded.
After her storied career with the Lady Tamaraws, the 29-year-old Daquis went her way to win numerous championships with the Philippine Army in the Shakey’s V-League and Philippine Superliga. She also played for Petron during its 2016 PSL title run.
FEU athletic director Mark Molina said that Daquis deserves to have her #3 jersey retired after becoming the face of Lady Tamaraws volleyball squad in the UAAP and Shakey’s V-League.
“Rachel was more than just a great player in FEU, she was the first superstar in UAAP Women’s Volleyball when the league became mainstream ten years ago because of TV coverage,” Molina said.
“She actually became a bigger star after her time as a student-athlete because she continues to excel in the commercial leagues and captained several national teams, while also having a good career in modeling,” he added.
“For all her accomplishments, Rachel remains humble and driven just like when she first arrived in FEU to try out for a spot in the volleyball team,” concluded the FEU official on Daquis.
Daquis thus joined FEU basketball legends Johnny Abarrientos and Arwind Santos whose jersey numbers 14 and 19, respectively, hang in the rafters of the FEU gym in Manila.
Daquis also became the second volleyball player to get her jersey retired after De La Salle University Lady Spikers’ Manilla Santos, whose #14 jersey was hanged from the rafters of the Enrique M. Razon Sports Center./PN
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