Slowly fitting in
Joining a team with an already strong bond and established system, Bea de Leon knew she would need an open mind to be a factor with the winningest team in Premier Volleyball League history.
“I think coming in here I really just wanted a rookie mindset—that I really want to learn everything, keep absorbing every information that they tell me,” De Leon told the Inquirer after Creamline charged to its fourth consecutive victory in the All-Filipino Conference, a 25-13, 25-13, 25-19 ripping of Strong Group on Tuesday.
“I try to take it in one by one and really try to learn the system cause it’s very, very different,” De Leon, a middle blocker who found her way to the Cool Smashers from Choco Mucho in the offseason, added. “But [I am] slowly getting there, slightly bigger roles … but I am of a mindset to be ready to take it.”
The former captain of the Flying Titans debuted for the Cool Smashers in their match against Akari, slowly took on bigger roles in their win over Galeries Tower and finally started in Creamline’s win against Strong Group.In those three outings, De Leon contributed five points each time and helped the Cool Smashers extend their winning streak to 19 straight dating back to last All-Filipino.
But that’s only the beginning for the former Ateneo standout.
“I am ready to take [the information] and they’ve taught me well. And because of that trust, I should also believe in myself that I can take on bigger roles, if and when they give it to me,” she added.
Her first few months with her new crew have gone smoothly, and their chemistry has been getting better as the days go by. And De Leon has no regrets in jumping ship.
Filling the void
“I am really thankful for the opportunity to play and in this game (as a starter), I know that coach’s trust was in me,” she said, adding that Sherwin Meneses’ system was one of the reasons she chose to backstop the defending champions.
De Leon filled in the void created by Ced Domingo’s departure to Akari, joining other Creamline middle blockers like Jeanette Panaga and Risa Sato, who have been very supportive in integrating her to the system.
And if the stars align, De Leon can be a part of Creamline’s winning tradition as the Cool Smashers gun for their eighth title.“To be a part of it I think will really be just special for me. This is a one in a million (chance) so I am really just thankful that I get to be a part of a team that is very capable to do that,” she said with a mix of Filipino.
There is pressure, being the newcomer in a veteran-laden team that has the likes of Alyssa Valdez, Michele Gumabao and Ella de Jesus. But these were the very people who had helped De Leon be comfortable in her new home—on and off the court.
“There’s always pressure [to keep up], but I turn that into motivation,” she said. “When I see them everyday, it inspires me to be better and to be the best version of myself.
“I see them grinding and giving a hundred percent everyday, so it really just inspires me to get to their level.”
