DAYS AFTER UST captain-libero Detdet Pepito took her final UAAP bow, senior Golden Tigress Reg Jurado has decided to stay one more year in España.
The lefty opposite spiker will use her fifth and final year of eligibility to return for Season 89, UST Institute of Physical Education and Athletics director Fr. Rodel Cansancio O.P. confirmed to The Flame on Thursday, May 7.
“Reg [Jurado] will be staying for one more year,” Cansancio, who first announced the move on social media, told The Flame.
“We are grateful for her decision and her leadership is a big win for UST and for the team,” he added.
The 23-year-old Jurado is poised for a bigger leadership role next season after Pepito named her heir to the Tigresses’ captaincy.
“We have been through a lot together. She learned a lot from me and from Eya [Laure]… With what I see, I think she can handle the team,” Pepito told reporters after playing her last game in the UAAP last Saturday, May 2.
As the defensive anchor, Pepito pointed out how a scorer like Jurado at the forefront could better lead the team.
“Skills-wise, it’s really better when the captain ball can score. You’re better equipped to carry your teammates that way, so I feel like Regina is ready for it,” the team captain for three years said.
“Being the team captain is just a title, you still really need the support and guidance of the seniors,” she added.
The Tigresses settled for bronze in Season 88 following a four-set loss to the defending champions and No. 2 NU Lady Bulldogs, 20-25, 26-24, 26-24, 25-21, in the stepladder semifinals at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. Jurado capped off her fourth season with 19 points built on 17 attacks and two blocks.
Jurado emerged as the Tigresses’ second-leading scorer behind teammate Angge Poyos, averaging 50.80 statistical points (SPs) across 14 games played. Her performance placed her 10th overall in the league’s MVP race.
Set to graduate with a degree in Behavioral Science this June, Jurado would need to pursue graduate studies to extend her stint with the Tigresses.
She became the second senior Tigress to commit to a final playing year, following playmaker Cassie Carballo’s earlier confirmation.
Tigresses’ vets going pro
Meanwhile, it was also confirmed that veteran spikers Jonna Perdido and Xyza Gula have decided to forgo their final year to join Pepito in the pros.
Perdido and Gula had a rough patch in the middle of their UST tenure due to injuries.
Fresh off a silver-medal finish in Season 86, Perdido suffered an ACL tear during the 2024 Shakey’s Super League that sidelined her for the entirety of Season 87, while a displaced tailbone also forced Gula to miss the same campaign, dealing a major blow to UST’s spiker rotation.
Both made their long-awaited returns to the Tigresses’ lineup in Season 88 after recovering from injuries.
Known as a spark off the bench, the high-flying Gula was named the second-best outside hitter in the 2025 Shakey’s Super League Unity Cup. The 5-foot-9 Perdido closed her UAAP chapter with 15 points against the Lady Bulldogs.
Pepito, Perdido and Gula are all set to enter the upcoming Premier Volleyball League (PVL) draft in June, with the application lasting until May 22, 2026. F
