Graduating Ateneo Blue Eagles player Roma Mae Doromal. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Everything’s still up in the air for Lyann De Guzman, but Ateneo coach Sergio Veloso would love to have her back next season.
“I still haven’t decided yet. Let’s see,’’ said De Guzman after the Blue Eagles punctuated their UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball campaign with a 25-13, 25-17, 25-21 victory over Adamson on Wednesday.
De Guzman, the team’s leading scorer and a prized acquisition for any team in the professional ranks, is set to graduate this year, but has two more years of collegiate eligibility.
“We’ve become successful this year compared to last season. We saw how we progressed individually and as a team every game,’’ said De Guzman.
Saving her best for last, De Guzman left everything on the Smart Araneta Coliseum floor by firing 14 attacks in that emphatic win that cemented Ateneo’s claim to fifth place after missing the Final Four for the second straight season.
The Blue Eagles finished with a 5-9, win-loss record, just a game better than their 4-10 tally in Season 85, but the Ateneo rebuilding program, according to Veloso, has just begun.
“Our position is better than last year and it’s one of our targets. The players improved this season. We made mistakes, but that’s part of the match. Nobody’s perfect,’’ Veloso said.
“But what’s important is how you play after making those mistakes by never giving up. Our players showed that type of resiliency the entire season,’’ he added.
Steep drop-off
The Lady Falcons, meanwhile, wound up sixth with only three wins in 14 games, a steep drop-off from their third-place finish last season.
Team captain Roma Mae Doromal, Ateneo’s dependable libero, played her final game for the blue and while and admitted she will turn pro.
“When I decided to stay, I was really searching for my purpose. And staying [with Ateneo for another year], I found my purpose in helping my teammates,’’ said Doromal.
Still, the Blue Eagles will have a sturdy roster competitive enough to snatch a semifinal seat in Season 87 with hitters Geezel Tsunashima, Sophia Buena and Faye Nisperos expected to suit up along with middle blockers AC Miner, Yvana Sulit and Zey Pacia.
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And De Guzman? Veloso just gave his energetic spiker a tight hug after declaring uncertainty, hoping she’ll come back.