Student first, athlete second: Celine Domingo divides time between volleyball, thesis work

MANILA, Philippines—Celine Domingo is making sure that she’s a student first and an athlete second.

Far Eastern University’s middle blocker has been on a roller coaster ride in her past three games in the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament that included a zero-point game against Ateneo.

Domingo said she’s not solely focused on volleyball during the past weeks and instead had to divide her time for training and completing her thesis for her BS Tourism course at FEU.

“I’m focusing on my thesis now and it’s getting harder by the moment,” said Domingo in Filipino after FEU’s romp of National University, 25-21, 25-19, 25-22, Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Center.

“Before we played Ateneo, I think there were three nights that I only had three hours of sleep each. And now I’ve been sleeping for three to five hours because there are a lot of deadlines I have to catch up on.”

Domingo averaged 11.9 points in the tournament’s first nine games and ranked no.13 in scoring, but she suffered a drastic drop in her production in FEU’s past three games.

She went scoreless against Ateneo then had 12 combined points in the Lady Tamaraws’ matches against University of the Philippines and the Lady Bulldogs.

“I know this shouldn’t be an excuse but I have a hard time adjusting because I’m the type of person who sleeps early,” said Domingo. “It’s actually frustrating for me because your mind is telling me to push it but your body is the one that just gives up.”

Domingo added that her thesis doesn’t require her to spend hours upon hours in the library and instead demands her and her group mates to go out on the field.

The 5-foot-9 middle blocker routinely goes to Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife, La Mesa Dam Water Shed, and UP-Diliman to do on-site studies for her thesis titled Motivation and Satisfaction in Visiting Urban Green Parks in Quezon City.

And Domingo does her schoolwork right after the team’s training at around lunchtime.

Another part of Domingo’s student-athlete struggle is the Lady Tamaraws’ schedule in the tournament.

FEU has a game set on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena against University of Santo Tomas at 4 pm and it’s on that day that Domingo’s set to defend the thesis.

“Our defense is on Sunday, and we have a game on Sunday so I’m putting my fate to the Lord,” said Domingo. “Our schedule is yet to be released and I hope we go in the morning so I can catch up to our game at MOA.”