BACARRA, Ilocos Norte — Two years ago, Choco Mucho joined the 2019 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Open Conference but Bea De Leon was not in her best form due to a nagging shin injury.
De Leon only saw action in few games for the Flying Titans as she was recovering from her injury after leading Ateneo’s title run in UAAP Season 81. Now that volleyball is back from a year-long pandemic break, the 5-foot-11 middle blocker has been flaunting flashes of her lethal form as Choco Mucho stayed unbeaten in its first two matches in the PVL bubble at the PCV Socio-Civic and Cultural Center.
“During the pandemic, I really just wanted to maintain my condition especially my strength kasi I came from an injury so yun lang talaga yung tinry kong i-nurse,” said De Leon after contributing seven points in their three-set victory over Sta. Lucia on Friday.
“I just wanted to be healthy and do what's right kasi wala naman akong hinahabol sa ngayon except be better for my team and do what's right talaga,” she added.

BDL back to her best
The 24-year-old made an impressive professional debut, firing 18 points off 15 attacks, a pair of blocks and an ace to torch PLDT last Wednesday.
But for the fit-again De Leon, Deanna Wong, Denden Lazaro-Revilla, Ponggay Gaston and Regine Arocha are the game-changers for the Flying Titans’ side that finished seventh in the 2019 Open Conference.
“Super huge difference. Kampante kami kahit anong mangyari if our block lets up, which is our strength, medyo nakakaano sa amin pero 'pag tumingin kami sa likod may Denden Lazaro and even Ponggay and Reg. They're very, very good defenders and even Deanna,” said De Leon. “Yung depensa namin sobrang laking tiwala namin and we know na kung ano man mangyari may (sasalo) ng bola and tiyaga tiyaga lang.”
De Leon knows bigger tests await Choco Mucho in the remainder of the conference but she’s glad to see her team’s progress in its first two games.
“I think we're okay, but there's a lot to improve and work on,” she said. “At least yung trend kahit two games pa lang is paakyat kami. Hopefully, we sustain it and keep going and keep doing better lang.”
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