Bea De Leon has been in the finals of the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament for all her career until now.
Ateneo failed to enter the finals for the first time in seven years after the Lady Eagles bowed Far Eastern University, 25-20, 25-21, 14-25, 25-19, in the Final Four of Season 80 and De Leon may or may not have played her final year in Lady Eagle blue.
“It’s a possibility [that I played my last], but I don’t want to make rash decisions,” said De Leon Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena. “
And it’s not only De Leon’s future with Ateneo that is uncertain as the whole Lady Eagles team in in transition mode with Tai Bundit, the only title-winning head coach with the team, not returning for Season 81.
De Leon added that despite Ateneo’s exit in the Final Four, the first time since Season 73 that the Lady Eagles failed to enter the championship round, the team still overachieved.
The Lady Eagles had a new setter in Deanna Wong, several untested liberos in Dani Ravena and Ria Lo, and a converted libero in Ponggay Gaston, but still managed to take a respectable 9-4 record and finish as the third seed.
“I even had my own doubts if we can make the Final Four, we had a lot of opportunities and we made it,” said De Leon who had seven points against the Lady Tamaraws.
“I think we still outdid ourselves, maybe it wasn’t the best of exits because we lost three straight but I’m very proud of what the team has achieved.”