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Witness to Arellano's rise, Adi Villados says Chiefs' finals return is bigger than himself

NCAA By BEA MICALLER,GMA Integrated News From the Arellano University Chiefs' tough losses to their slow climb back to relevance, Adi Villados has been through it all. And seeing the school reach the finals again after seven years makes the veteran setter proud and honored at the same time. However, the graduating Villados, a true homegrown product of Arellano, stressed the feat isn't his alone. "Itong pagtungtong namin sa finals ay hindi lang para sa akin, para din sa mga teammates ko na maiiwan. Boost din sa kanila na kaya nilang mag-finals at kaya nilang gawin 'yung ginawa namin ngayon," Villados told GMA News Online on Friday. The 5-foot-11 playmaker has been with the school since 2018, back when he was still suiting up for the juniors teams during his Grade 11 and 12 years under coaches Obet Javier and Sherwin Meneses. He then stayed in Legarda and joined the Chiefs for college. Now, he has emerged as the pillar of the squad in their first finals appearance since Season 93, ousting second-seeded Mapua University in the NCAA Season 100 men's volleyball Final Four. Before this feat, the Chiefs have fallen short too many times in the past. In their last finals trip in Season 93 in 2018, Arellano fell to powerhouse University of Perpetual Help System DALTA in the finals. They then made the Final Four again the following year, but bowed to Emilio Aguinaldo College in the first round of Season 94 stepladder semifinals. In Seasons 98 and 99, Arellano would fall short anew after absorbing losses to San Beda University and Colegio de San Juan de Letran, respectively, in the stepladder round. "Sobrang saya and sobrang honored kasi last year [ko na], meron akong iiwan sa school na ito nakapasok kami sa finals," he added. "Masaya kasi lagi po kaming nalalaglag sa semis and ayon ma-achieve na namin kung ano 'yung gusto namin." —JKC, GMA Integrated News