What-ifs leave stars in quandary: One more year or turn pro?
Lyann de Guzman expected things to unfold very differently for Ateneo in what could be her final year in a blue and white uniform.
And why not? The Blue Eagles had everything they needed before the start of the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament—an intact crew, talent and fighting spirt.
But a cruel cosmic joke tore all that apart.
“If we still had[ Zel [Tsunashima], JLo [delos Santos] and Sobe [Buena], our team would look different and we [would have been] strong,” De Guzman said.
“But we didn’t expect the things that happened. But I am still happy because I feel that we still achieved our goals, which goes to show that even [after losing key players], we [kept] on fighting,” she added.
Before the season started, the Blue Eagles already lost Delos Santos to an ACL tear in a tuneup match, Tsunashima followed in just Ateneo’s first game after fracturing her left tibia and fibula. Buena also suffered an ACL tear in the first round of the tournament.
The Katipunan-based crew was reduced to just 11 players, a predicament in itself. Ranged against intact squads with huge amounts of talent, it was easy to see why the Eagles began to dim.
Missed chance
Yet somehow, Ateneo was able to hunt down five wins in its 14 games. However, the missed chance to test the team’s true might could have an effect on the decision of the Ateneo ace to stay for one more year.
“When a lot of the things were happening, I felt that this season was such a big opportunity for us and it could’ve turned out differently,” De Guzman said after dropping 13 points as Ateneo capped its season with a 25-21, 23-25, 25-16, 27-25 beating of winless last-placer University of the East to snap a four-game stint.
“I am balancing things out and I still need to think about what is the right path for me. I am still deciding on what to do for my future,” De Guzman said. “To be honest, yes [I thought about turning pro even before the season]. I felt like this season we could’ve reached the Final Four.”
Another cog thinking about the next step of her career is AC Miner, who also contributed 13 points.
“We have a lot of what-ifs this season [like] what if [the injuries] never happened? We might not have reached our goal but we’re still very proud of our team and in line with our academics, we are already about to finish this year,” Miner said. “The decision for one more year is 50-50.”
But even if the two stars depart, there’s a glimmer of hope for Ateneo with the expected return of its injured players and the growth of holdovers such as Jihan Chuatico, who saved her best performance for the last, punching in 16 points.
“For the future of Ateneo, I think it’s gonna be very bright knowing that us rookies [are] also very brave, very strong mentally. I know that we have the skills to challenge top teams next year,” Chuatico said.
Everything is still up in the air for the graduating standouts but Ateneo has to be prepared with a lot of possibilities awaiting two of its main gunners.
“Mostly [people urge me to stay for] one more year because maybe they still think that we have a big potential next year,” De Guzman said.
“[There are teams reaching out] but it will depend on what will be [the PVL] draft result,” Miner said. “I am also thinking about my future and not only what’s in front of us. But we’re still in season so we still need to focus on the team [and] we can’t be selfish and think immediately of just our futures. But with what happened, what if we stay for one more year?”
