As the university's preliminary season draws near, fourth year Golden Tigresses Detdet Pepito and Pia Abbu prove they are more than just athletes.

After all, they are dedicated students balancing the demands of both the classroom and the volleyball court.

Pepito is set to earn her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education degree while also leading the Golden Tigresses as its team captain.

Pepito’s daily routine is packed from start to finish.

She accomplishes her internship as a Grade 3 pre-service science teacher at a public elementary school in San Lazaro from 6:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m, before training with the volleyball team at 6:00 p.m.

Having been a student-athlete since elementary, Pepito continues to balance her hectic schedule by prioritizing what matters most.

“Hindi ko alam kung paano ko naba- balance, pero sakripisyo lang talaga ang katapat,” she said.

“Medyo haggard lang since mga bata ‘yong tinuturuan ko. Pasensya lang talaga. Masaya, tapos nakaka- stress, tapos magagalit. Pare-parehas lang talaga sila, mas makukulit lang ‘yong mga bata,” she added.

Her experience as a public school graduate also gave her a deeper appreciation for the work of educators.

“Noong naging pre-service teacher na ako sa public school, parang kakaiba na ‘yong mga bata. Kaya believe ako sa mga teacher. Grabe ‘yong sakripisyo at pagmamahal sa mga bata,” the two-time UAAP best libero reflected.

Meanwhile, Abbu is only a thesis away from finishing her degree in Tourism Management, specializing in Travel Operations and Service Management.

With just a few major subjects left, Abbu rolls through the punches of academic life by making the most of every moment.

“Balance talaga, if may free time, mina- maximize ko talaga ‘yong free time ko, ginagawa ko ‘yong part ko sa thesis, and everything para hindi din masyadong pagod,” the middle blocker said.

With a one-week break before facing defending champions National University Lady Bulldogs, both players expressed gratitude for the chance to rest and recharge.

“Igra- grab po talaga namin ‘yong opportunity na halos one week na preparation. Gagawin namin ‘yong best and lahat isa- sacrifice namin this time. Pero siyempre, magfo- focus pa rin kami sa recovery namin since health nga ‘yong pinaka problem namin this season,” Pepito said.

Deputy coach Yani Fernandez acknowledged how crucial the break is for the players, especially after a three-game week outing.

"Napakalaking privilege sa amin ‘yong one week na ‘yan. Kasi nagagawan nga namin ng paraan ng two days lang, so what if isang buong linggo pa?" he said.

Fernandez added that they monitor the players' schedules and remind them to use their rest wisely, especially with preliminaries approaching.

"Iyon [scheduling] talaga ang kalaban naming mga coaches. Pero siyempre, kailangan mag-aral talaga. Student first, then athlete," he said.

"Binibigyan namin sila ng rest day at paulit-ulit naming sinasabi na gamitin nila iyon nang maayos. Kasi kahit nagpapahinga, nag-aaral pa rin ‘yang mga iyan," he added.

The Golden Tigresses will look to end their first round of eliminations with a win as they set up a finals rematch against the Lady Bulldogs on Sunday, March 16, at the Araneta Coliseum.