MANILA, Philippines – Little by little, the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament is looking more and more like a lost cause for the rebuilding Ateneo Blue Eagles.
Already down two key players in Zel Tsunashima and JLo delos Santos, the proud Katipunan-based program suffered another big hit as rising star spiker Sobe Buena was declared out of the season due to full ACL and MCL tears suffered after a non-contact landing in her last game against UST.
To make matters worse, the Blue Eagles are snowballing down the standings with a 1-5 record after dropping their fourth straight game this season against longtime rival La Salle on Wednesday, March 12.
For head coach Sergio Veloso, however, all that matters first is his players’ well-being, with everything else a far second.
“These kinds of injuries, my philosophy is first to prevent, and you need to think of the players,” he said after the La Salle loss.
“For this season, I cannot say [for sure] but I cannot use Sobe, and JLo too, because it’s a knee [problem].”
The offensive burden now falls squarely on the shoulders of captain Lyann de Guzman, veteran middle blocker AC Miner, and veteran setter Taks Fujimoto, and Ateneo must now also unlock the potential of reserves like Zey Pacia and Alexia Montoro.
“When you return, you need a little more time, and you don’t push the player because she can return, she can play, but she can sustain a lot of damage,” Veloso continued.
“I think all the time of the players, I think all the time of prevention. Next year, the other year, you can fight for the other tournaments or championships, but if you did bad with the player, that player cannot play anymore. I need to think of the players.”
Ateneo wraps up its first-round slate on Saturday, March 15, at the Araneta Coliseum against the winless UE Lady Warriors. – Rappler.com