MANILA, Philippines – Former University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroon JR Gallarza simply wanted to share the spotlight after getting a lot of positive press when it was revealed he would graduate magna cum laude.

"We don't need to look far for other studious athletes," he tweeted. "UP Maroon Volleybelle Kathy Bersola is on her way to graduate summa cum laude!"

His announcement was met with awe and delight from fans on social media – and with a quick "Let us not jinx it" from Bersola herself.

@JRGallarza Let us not jinx it.. Haha! Congrats, JR!! :)

— Katherine Bersola (@KB08_) February 28, 2016

"Na-stress ako," Bersola told ABS-CBN News of Gallarza's tweet. "Nag-message siya, sabi niya, 'Kathy, sorry kung nag-(bigay) ng unwanted pressure and attention sa 'yo pero I just had to say it.' Kasi 'di ba nga, nabalita na magna (cum laude) siya, so parang share the spotlight daw."

Bersola didn't mind the attention at first, until her Twitter notifications started blowing up. "Parang ako, sa isip-isip ko, huwag na nating batiin, guys," she said.

Bersola is taking Sport Science in UP Diliman, with an eye towards eventually going to sports medicine and orthopedics (In her Twitter profile, she wrote "Future Orthopedic Surgeon").

She has three more semesters to go, and right now, her general weighted average (GWA) of 1.18 puts her on track to graduate summa cum laude.

"Huwag natin i-jinx," she said again.

'Love for the subject'

Bersola doesn't deny that it is "very difficult" to maintain her academic standing while also serving as team captain of the UP Lady Maroons – a squad that has Final 4 aspirations in the UAAP Season 78 tournament.

"Pero honestly, hindi ko siya iniisip as that," Bersola quickly added. "What I want lang naman is to do my best all the time."

It helps that Bersola is genuinely interested in what she is studying. "Since sobrang interested ako sa course ko, sobrang mahal ko siya, madali siya para sa akin na mag-aral," she explained. "Madali sa akin na intindihin ang mga concepts."

"Kasi nga, gusto ko talaga siya. So parang, less effort na when it comes to studying and understanding all the concepts at lahat ng tinuturo," she added. "Hindi siya labag sa kalooban ko, unlike other people na ayaw nila aralin ito, kasi hindi naman talaga nila gusto."

"Ako, gusto ko talaga," she stressed.

Studying – and excelling – in her course has made her a better athlete as well, said Bersola. Concepts such as injury prevention, strength and conditioning, and even psychology – she learned them inside the classroom and applied them on the court.

(READ: UP 'imitates' DLSU in upset win over Ateneo)

Nowhere was this more evident than last year, when she suffered an ACL injury towards the end of the first round of the UAAP Season 77, and was later declared out for the rest of the tournament. She knew, immediately, that she had torn a ligament.

"Inaaral kasi namin sa school ito, sa course ko," she told ABS-CBN News back in January 2015, after suffering her injury. "I heard a pop, and sure ako na ligament 'yun."

More than a year later, and with Bersola quickly regaining the form that once made her the best blocker in the UAAP, she pointed out that what she learned in her sports psychology classes was a great help for her during her recovery.

"The semester before I got injured, 'yun 'yung sem na nag-take ako ng sports psychology. So 'yung prof ko was like, 'O, alam mo na gagawin mo ha. Alam mo na kung paano i-handle 'yung ganito'. Sabi niya sa akin na, 'Kaya ikaw 'yung na-injure, kasi alam ni God na 'yung biggest challenge, ibibigay niya sa strongest soldier niya, and ikaw 'yun,'" Bersola related.

"So madali 'yung comeback ko, psychologically. Hindi ako natako, hindi ako nag-doubt, ever. Tuloy-tuloy ang progress ko," she added.

Competitive spirit

Bersola's famously competitive spirit is not confined to the court – it extends all the way to the classroom. She explains that it is a function of her upbringing, as the youngest child in a family where excellence was expected.

"Bunso kasi ako, so siyempre kailangan ko mag-effort, para masabi ko na kahit ako 'yung youngest, kaya ko rin na mag-excel," she said.

Her mother, also a UP graduate, inspired her not just to become an "Iskolar ng Bayan," but to excel at it.

"Ang mom ko, sobrang galing niya noong naga-aral pa siya sa UP, and ever since bata ako, sinasabi niya sa akin, magu-UP ka, ganoon," she revealed. "So parang ever since, gusto ko talaga mag-UP."

"I wanted to be like her," Bersola added. "And sobrang competitive ko sa acads, kasi… why waste it, 'di ba? Kung kaya mo naman, and kung alam mong kaya mo i-angat ang sarili mo, 'di mo pa ba gagawin?"

"So, hindi ako tamad. Hindi ako tamad mag-aral."

Not an easy course

Bersola, like many other athletes, truly wants to disprove the old stereotype of the "dumb jock," who takes supposedly easy college courses just to skate by on their way to the professional leagues. It is not easy, however, especially for someone who takes Sport Science.

"Everyone thinks na ang mga nags-Sport Science, 'yung mga gusto lang maka-get through college kasi gusto nila mag-pro after college. So nag-take sila ng Sport Science, kasi 'yun 'yung madali – which is not true," she stressed.

"Lahat naman ng course sa UP, mahirap," she said.

There is a certain defensiveness to her tone now. "Minsan, 'pag tinatanong nila ako, ano bang course mo? Sport Science. Ah, Sport Science pala. Parang sinasabi nila na kaya pala mataas ang grade mo kasi Sport Science ka lang," she said.

"Parang ganoon, 'yun ang pinaparating nila," she said. "Eh 'di ako, okay, eh 'di punta ako ng chem (Chemistry), sige tingnan natin kung kaya ko din."

Her face breaks into a wide smile. "Hindi, joke lang," she said.

Inspiration to other athletes

Just as Gallarza turned the attention to her, Bersola wanted to take the opportunity to shine the spotlight on other UP athletes who have also excelled academically.

"Ang dami actually na Dean's Lister sa college namin na mga athletes din ng iba't ibang sports," she said. "Ang dami na ring nag-graduate na magna (cum laude). Ang dami ring taga-ibang college na athlete na nag-graduate din ng sobrang tataas ng mga GWA."

Bersola is ultimately hopeful that she – along with Gallarza and other "studious athletes" – will serve as an inspiration to future generations of sportsmen and women who will step foot in UP.

"May part sa akin na gustong ipakita sa mundo na posible 'yun," she said. "Siguro, to inspire na rin the other aspiring athletes, na pwede ka mag-excel not only sa sports."

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