Expectations are high for Thea Gagate, one of the Philippines’ most promising young volleyball talents — but she stands taller.
Game 2 of the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball finals. For a while, it looked like the National University Lady Bulldogs were about to force a do-or-die Game 3 after claiming the first two sets over the De La Salle University Lady Spikers, who held an advantage after winning the first game of the series. But the girls in green crawled their way back from two sets down to take the third and fourth.
It was all to play for in the fifth set.
NU, the reigning champions, needed to win the final frame to keep their title defense alive. DLSU, on the other hand, came into this series with chips on their shoulders, having lost to the same team just one year earlier.
“Sa [Season] 85, ginawa talaga naming hugot yung 84,” Thea Gagate recalls with The GAME.
Gagate, who at that point had already become known for her towering presence on the court, was having an unusually quiet match. Looking back on Game 2, she admits, “Wala akong masyadong ganap yung first four sets.”
But right before the start of the fifth set, the six-foot-two middle blocker felt something in her gut. “I just had this thought na parang, ‘We’re doing this, everyone,’” she shares.
The Lady Spikers huddled up before the final frame of Game 2 and placed their hands in the middle of their circle. Thea looked down at her teammates’ outstretched arms, but instead of placing her hand on top, she reached underneath the pile of hands and gently pressed her palm upwards, lifting the weight of her team.
“Sabi ko, ‘Bubuhatin ko itong team na’to.’”
Heading back to the court, La Salle went up 10-9 in the fifth set. Thea Gagate then orchestrated a 3-0 run to expand her team’s lead, highlighted by two huge blocks over NU’s top players. And the final dagger? It was a quick hit by Thea that won the Lady Spikers their first UAAP volleyball title in five years.
Looking back at that defining moment in her collegiate career, she says, “Parang kampante lang ako na kaya namin…I had this confidence na this is me. I worked hard for this.”
Carrying the weight of her entire team, Thea Gagate did not crumble under the pressure. Quite the opposite, in fact. She carried the heavy load with a certain equanimity. This is how she knows that even with the entire Philippine volleyball community now singing her praises — unsurprisingly, as she was the No. 1 pick in the PVL Draft — she is ready to live up to the lofty expectations that will inevitably come with her upcoming professional debut.
Forming her roots
Although her mastery as a middle blocker might suggest otherwise, Thea Gagate grew up not knowing much about the Philippines’ volleyball scene despite starting her playing career as early as her elementary school days.
“Wala kasi talaga akong alam sa sports, to be honest,” she admits.
Born and raised in Cebu, Thea’s first calling was not to the court; it was a camera. As a young girl, she was already beginning to make moves for a potential career in modeling. After all, she was already towering over six feet when she was only 15 years old and had the figure of a runway model. But her height became a huge advantage on the court, too.
Balancing both modeling and volleyball training would eventually become too time-consuming, and she pushed herself to make a decision. Which should she focus on?
You can guess what she chose.
As she developed as a volleyball player, Thea soon received the opportunity to play for the National University senior high school team in the UAAP Juniors’ tournament, and at fifteen years old, she moved to Manila. This was when she got her first taste of the Philippines’ volleyball fanfare.
“Time yun nila Santiago sisters, tapos andaming fans. Like, ‘di ko ma-gets bakit sumisigaw yung mga tao, kasi wala talagang akong alam.”
Soon after, Thea herself would begin to generate her own noise, too.
As a Lady Bullpup playing in the UAAP girls’ volleyball tournament, she was an instrumental figure in leading NU to back-to-back championships in Seasons 78 and 79, her influence on the court further proven by her Rookie of the Year Award. It’s no wonder DLSU, a university that boasts a historically successful volleyball team, came knocking on Thea’s door.
Thea was introduced to the La Salle volleyball community as a rising star. After a shining high school stint, many expected a lot from Thea, especially as the Lady Spikers were at a point where they were still in search of a way back to the throne. With this, Thea instantly realized how real things were about to get.
“Parang ‘di ko alam ganun pala ka-famous yung La Salle,” she reflects. “Like ganun sila, the way maglaro, sobrang serious nila sa larong volleyball. And just watching the athletes before [I started] playing, and then with the big crowd. [I thought], ‘Oh, this is really real.’”
The loud crowds, the winning culture, the need to prove oneself — Thea was eager to be a part of it all.
“I remember there was a moment in Season 81, the others were lost,” Thea recalls, looking back to the season before her arrival to Taft Avenue when the Archers painfully missed out on a finals berth. “We were just on the sides watching, and I was teary-eyed at the time. I just thought na babawian ko sila next year.”
Thea used this as motivation for her upcoming rookie year. But this drive to deliver consequently came with a level of suspense. In the offseason months, the up-and-comer in Taft already started to make noise, creating even higher levels of expectations leading up to the start of the UAAP Season 82 women’s volleyball tournament.
“It was really nerve-wracking for me,” she says thinking back to the moments right before her first UAAP women’s game. “I didn’t really hear my jersey number being called, it was so loud. Tapos hindi ko alam na ganun pala siya.”
But if any jitters remained after the first serve was made, Thea did not show. Making her highly-anticipated UAAP debut — and against rivals Ateneo, no less — the middle blocker instantly proved that she was worth the hype, taking charge with five blocks and five attacks.
This was the moment that she realized that volleyball could be more than just an extracurricular activity.
“Nung ako naman yung naka-experience playing, parang dun ko na-realize na I really want to start this as my career. Para in the future din, in the long run, mas i-improve ko pa yung sarili ko para mas maganda yung career ko.”
Outside opinions were thinking the same thing, as a young Thea’s stunning UAAP debut victory was the talk of the town. Her name was on the headlines of all the news outlets that reported on the match. The noise, already at a raised volume prior to her first match, got even louder.
But an abrupt, drawn-out silence soon followed.
Rising to the occasion
Thea Gagate played just one game in her official UAAP rookie year with DLSU before the COVID-19 pandemic put all the momentum of her preparations to a grinding halt.
“After [my first game], it was just sad na biglang nag-transition agad, like nawalan agad,” she shares.
Like most Filipino athletes at the time, Thea and the rest of the Lady Spikers resorted to remote training sessions. As she recalls, their team members would go on Zoom calls and practice basic skills to stay in shape. It took two years before they were finally given the green light to compete again.
When asked if, after a long two-year wait, she felt the need to make up for lost time, her answer was a resounding, “Syempre.”
Yet unsurprisingly, the season wasn’t as easy as a one-word answer. “Ang hirap,” Thea looks back. “Hindi naman yung condition mo same as before kasi kanya-kanyang workout lang din at home [during the pandemic]. So it was really hard.
“But I’m glad na we still got the finals at that time.”
The DLSU Lady Spikers returned to the UAAP scene as promising title contenders, with Thea as one of the team’s star players. She returned to the court eager to remind fans of her memorable debut game in 2020, and living up to the reputation she’s set for herself, she helped lead the Archers to the finals.
However, they faced the formidable NU Lady Bulldogs, a dominant team that went undefeated all season long — even in the short finals series, where they cleanly swept the Lady Archers in two 3-0, 3-0 games.
Despite the defeat, Thea Gagate was still named the Best Middle Blocker of the tournament that year, a true marker of her influence on the team’s journey to the finals. But, this individual award did not sweeten the bitter taste of defeat. She still wanted to win it all.
“We knew that we could do it,” Thea contends. “So parang kumapit kami sa thought na yun.”
Thea knew that she and her teammates had what it took to become champions. But in Season 84, which she considers her true rookie year, she realized that individual talent and hype are not enough to win in this sport. More than this, she discovered that it would come down to their relationship as a team.
“Lahat kami strong individually. We just needed to work on our relationship together.”
The “bubble” tournament setup of UAAP Season 84, which was implemented as a way to play even as the pandemic was still a major concern, actually worked out as a blessing in disguise for the Lady Archers. As Thea recalls, “Since kami-kami lang din yung magkakasama at the time, mas naging stronger yung relationship namin, and na-apply namin yun sa loob ng court.”
As the Lady Spikers continued to deepen their relationship with one another, Thea was also doing everything in her power to stay on top of her own game. Having won an individual award for her defensive prowess the year before, this gave her the confidence to continue delivering for her team.
“Individually, syempre alam ko na kaya kong kunin yung back-to-back Best Middle Blocker award, so doon ako kumapit ng kumpiyansa, na dito din yung way na kailangan ko tumulong sa team,” she says.
So, when it came down to it — the Lady Archers facing the Lady Bulldogs once again in the fifth set of Game 2 in the UAAP women’s volleyball finals — Thea did exactly what she set out to do, thinking to herself, “I can do anything.” She knew the hype around her was real, and this self-assurance fueled her to exact revenge on NU.
After her final quick hit that put an end to Game 2, Thea Gagate cried out, a picture of pure joy. She was a UAAP Champion. And this wasn’t the only box she ticked that evening in the Mall of Asia Arena — she also secured her back-to-back Best Middle Blocker Award.
In Thea, many saw the future of Philippine volleyball, and she would soon get her chance to make her case.
Shining on the international stage
Over 19,000 fans flocked to the Mall of Asia Arena in May earlier this year to watch reigning volleyball UAAP champions DLSU in the semifinals against the twice-to-beat UST Golden Tigresses. All eyes were on La Salle. Would they keep their hopes of back-to-back titles alive?
After a five-set marathon where the two squads went back and forth, it was UST who came out on top to advance to the finals. The Archers sank in their disappointment, their season coming to an end.
Still, Thea Gagate emerged as one of the best players of the tournament, winning her third straight Best Middle Blocker Award. But even so, she admits that her confidence was shot.
“We came from a loss, so medyo naging shaky yung kumpiyansa ko talaga. Kasi sayang,” she laments.
But just days later, Thea was about to take on an even bigger role.
On May 15, the national team, newly renamed Alas Pilipinas to represent a new era of Philippine Volleyball, announced a fresh, star-studded lineup that included the three-time Best Middle Blocker awardee.
“Sobrang surprising, to be honest,” Thea says, reflecting on her reaction to the national team call-up. “Na-overwhelm ako at some point, kasi ang bilis ng transition…“Malaking responsibility na din pa part na ako ng national team.”
After a disappointing finish in UAAP Season 86, Thea quickly went from wearing green to blue, red, and white, getting ready to suit up in the national colors for the AVC Challenge Cup. But the changes she’d have to make went far beyond the colors of her jersey.
“Mahirap siya,” the six-foot-two middle blocker says, looking back on her first experience playing in an international tournament.
“Kasi ako yung matangkad dito [playing in the Philippines], but playing against international players, parang normal height lang siya. So parang ang hirap mag-adjust, lalo na for a middle blocker. Nag-iiba siya ng timing, kasi may iba sa kanila na mas mataas umabot kaysa sa akin…Sobrang daming adjustments.”
On top of an already heavy load to carry, Thea was also acutely aware that even though she was about to compete with an entirely new squad, she still had a reputation to uphold. “We also played here in the Philippines, so parang yung crowd, alam nila na may credentials na ako na ganito, so parang there’s a little bit of pressure na kailangan kong i-maintain.”
Luckily, Thea was surrounded by the best of the best volleyball players in the country. The Alas Pilipinas squad was composed of pro veterans including Sisi Rondina, Fifi Sharma, and team captain Jia De Guzman, and the young Lasallian made sure to use this opportunity to learn from her teammates.
When asked what it was like to play on this superstar team, Thea says, “Sobrang saya. Ang sarap nilang kasama, kasi lahat naman sila, like superstars, so madami din akong natutunan, lalo na sa mga ates namin, lalo na kay Ate Jia.”
And it all came together. With Thea fulfilling her role on the squad, she was a part of a historic Philippine volleyball team that won the country’s first bronze medal in the tournament in 63 years.
“Sobrang grateful ako na I’m one of the players na binigyan ng gano’ng heavy duty,” Thea reminisces with a big smile on her face. You can see just how much it meant to her, especially given the self-doubt she was facing prior to the tournament.
“Yung experience ko dun, yun yung nakaka-help sa akin na ibalik yung confidence and yung kaya ko sa loob ng court.”
A UAAP championship. Three straight Best Middle Blocker Awards. A bronze medal in a major international competition. What’s next on Thea Gagate’s bucket list?
The Premier Volleyball League.
The future awaits
The meteoric growth of Philippine volleyball cannot be overstated, and this year, it has gone to reach new heights. Apart from Alas Pilipinas making a historic podium finish in the AVC Challenge Cup, the Premier Volleyball League has also made huge strides, introducing the inaugural Rookie Draft.
Earlier this year, the PVL announced that it was set to host its first-ever Draft, following a Draft Combine where the 47 incoming rookies and free agents would get the chance to showcase their skills in a series of skill tests and scrimmages, similar to the Drafts of the NBA and PBA.
The PVL Draft Combine was broadcast live on television, spiking even more interest in the league, and it naturally generated a lot of buzz. But, there was perhaps no player who generated more buzz than Thea Gagate.
After topping the Spike Approach Vertical Reach and performing well in her short scrimmage, the headlines, articles, and reports said the same thing, for the most part: The star middle blocker from DLSU was expected to be the top pick of the Draft.
As early as the Combine, even Thea herself admitted that she knew, at least to some extent, she would be among the top picks. Yet even with this expectation, nothing could quite prepare her for the official announcement.
“The manager [of ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles] ang nag-contact sa akin nun, kasi we knew each other na. So tinawagan lang ako nung boss namin, and just told me straight up, ‘Oh, ikaw ang kukunin namin.’”
With one, simple sentence, Thea Gagate found that she was about to make history. Of the 47 aspirants, it was her name that was going to be called first. The first-ever No. 1 pick in the inaugural PVL Draft.
She admits that receiving this news was overwhelming. It was celebratory news, of course, but it also came with a rush of nerves.
“Nakakakaba siya, to be honest. Kasi parang historical din kasi ‘to, and very big deal…But okay talaga siya na ako yung first option nila, kasi na-appreciate din nila yung hard work ko sa college career.”
The maiden PVL Rookie Draft took place a few days later, on July 8, at the Novotel Hotel in Quezon City. Thea walked into the ballroom, a stunning figure in her sparkling, silver gown, looking as poised as ever — but deep down, she felt a bundle of nerves.
“[I was shaking] a little bit, like deep inside,” she reveals with a wry laugh. “Kahit alam ko na ang mangyayari, kinakabahan pa rin ako. Hinahawakan ko pa rin yung mga dating teammates ko.”
Finally, when her name was called up as the Number 1 pick, set to join the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, no one in the room was surprised. Thea stood with pride, her signature infectious smile spread across her face and walked up to the stage to receive the applause and adoration from her peers that she rightly deserved.
Standing on the precipice of her professional career, the jitters lingered. “Kahit nung after ako matawag, parang nandun pa rin yung kaba,” she confesses. But despite the nerves, she knew she needed to deliver on all the undertones that come with being labeled Number 1.
Now, the noise is louder than ever. At 24 years old, Thea Gagate has already achieved what most youngsters dream of. Her résumé is padded with accolades and awards and distinctions. And as she is finally set to make her PVL debut in the upcoming All-Filipino Conference kicking off in just a few weeks’ time, the tension has been heightening.
Mulling over the pressure she’s currently facing, Thea reveals that she is feeling it, “A little bit, deep inside.” However, if there is anything her career has taught her thus far, it’s how to block out outside noise and expectations.
As she says, “You can’t really put pressure on yourself, kasi dun ka naman masisira…Hindi ko na lang masyadong mina-mind yung mga sinasabi ng mga tao…I just remind myself na ako naman yung naglalaro, and hindi naman sila.”
Focusing on the things within her control, Thea has learned to reframe pressure — she turns it into her power. “More on nag-lean forward lang ako sa thought na swerte ako, like being a player. Kasi hindi naman lahat…So, I’m just really grateful na isa ako sa mga nabigyan ng gano’ng opportunity.”
Throughout the highs and lows and all the chapters of her flourishing career, one thing has remained consistent for Thea: her joyful disposition.
As someone who, as she says, “Came from knowing nothing,” every corner she has turned has been a delightful adventure. And right now, she is ready to dive into what comes next.
“Excited lang ako maglaro,” she says with a glow in her eyes, “[I’m excited to] be myself and unleash yung full potential ko, so that hopefully I get to contribute and get the team’s first win, and even more wins in the future.”
If her history has been any indication, more wins unquestionably await Thea Gagate.
Text ANNIKA CANIZA
Photography KIM SANTOS of KLIQ, Inc.
Creative Direction MARC YELLOW and CAS ASEOCHE
Hair and Makeup CATS DEL ROSARIO
Styling BRYAN LAROZA, RACHEL FUSTER, and JOAQUIN DELFIERRO
Sittings Editor ANNIKA CANIZA
Production Coordination ANTHONY MENDOZA