Ayel Estrañero moves on from UP’s early exit: ‘Life doesn’t end in UAAP’

MANILA, Philippines—It wasn’t the dream ending Ayel Estrañero always envisioned for herself in the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament.

University of the Philippines bowed out of the title race after it lost to National University in five sets, 25-21, 26-24, 17-25, 23-25, 17-15, Sunday,  leaving Estrañero to ponder why her final collegiate year reached an abrupt end.

“I can cry, I can feel bad but then at the end of the day I still have to move on with my life and at least think about what’s next for my volleyball career,” said Estrañero Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.

“It hurts but life doesn’t end in the UAAP.”

The Lady Maroons dropped to 6-7 with a game left in their schedule which allowed University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern University to clinch the last two spots in the semifinals.

They face Adamson on April 24 to wrap up their campaign.

“It hurts of course because you’ve dreamed of this so much, I dreamed so much for my team,” said Estrañero, who went to the Final Four just once in Season 78. “The goal was to at least get to the Final Four or the finals.”

“Who wouldn’t want that kind of finish in your graduating year? It hurts but life doesn’t end here.”