MANILA, Philippines—It has been a whirlwind of a campaign for Bea De Leon in the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament.
Although Ateneo has racked up wins left and right, De Leon has so far struggled, averaging just six points in the Lady Eagles’ first five games.
De Leon, however, finally shrugged off the slump and put on a Player of the Game-worthy performance of 14 points in the Lady Eagles’ win over Adamson University, 25-8, 22-25, 25-16, 25-10.
READ: UAAP volleyball: Ateneo hikes win streak to 5 after fending off Adamson
“Bea is the best player right? It’s about time. I really admire Bea, and all of my seniors, because they really put the sacrifices in everything,” said Ateneo head coach Oliver Almadro in Filipino Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Center.
“Bea makes my job as a coach that much easier so I really admire her,” Almadro added. “I told her that the points would come, just be patient.”
De Leon, who captains the Lady Eagles, said that Almadro always reminded her that she doesn’t need to do the heavy lifting for them and that what her teammates need from her is her leadership.
“Coach always says to me ‘I don’t always need your points, I just need your voice,’” said De Leon after the Lady Eagles soared to a league-best 5-1 record. “The game gave me a lot of confidence and the team showed me that they still trust me.”
“They saw me struggle and I know that I can’t bounce back from my slump by myself, it takes help from my teammates,” added De Leon.