FROM a decorated college career to a resurgent stint in the pros, Bea de Leon’s volleyball journey has come full circle in more ways than one.
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It was back in 2013, two years before making her UAAP seniors debut, when de Leon took a photo with her volleyball idol, former La Salle ace and now her Creamline teammate Michele Gumabao.
Additionally, it is also no secret that de Leon was close to playing for La Salle instead of its rival Ateneo.
But all roads eventually led to Katipunan with the Blue Eagles, where she began and ended her UAAP career a champion in Season 77 with Creamline teammates Alyssa Valdez, Bea de Leon, and Ella de Jesus and Season 81 with now-Choco Mucho rivals Maddie Madayag, Deanna Wong, and Kat Tolentino.
READ:Alyssa Valdez says Creamline 'not pressured to be perfect'
In a post on X/Twitter from over a decade ago, de Leon made a prophetic promise to herself in what was then a long-term goal for her budding career at the time.
“One day, I will play at Araneta with her in front of a thousand people, doing what I love to do,” wrote de Leon.
Eleven years later, de Leon was left in awe as she faced reporters following a big win for Creamline in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) where she got to play alongside Gumabao in front of a 17,396-strong crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum — just as she manifested as a young volleyball player back in the day.
Little did she know back then that a ‘scrawny’ kid like her would be able to live the ultimate volleyball dream of playing with her idol and blazing her trail in a champion club.
“Yeah I’m shy, but sobrang blessing. Hindi ko akalain na dadating ako sa point sa career ko na ‘to na nandito ako — from a kid na super scrawny and didn’t even know how to play quick. I mean, they so me, I didn’t even know half the rules.
“Pero ayun, kasama ko na sila ngayon. Pare-pareho kaming lumaban. Dream come true lang talaga,” de Leon said.
Home is where the heart is
A high-profile switch of teams, let alone between star-studded sister teams, was a leap of faith in itself that was as great an opportunity as it was a risk given the uncertainty of changing environments in a highly competitive pro volleyball landscape.
But if there’s one thing de Leon realized in roughly three months with the Cool Smashers, it may take time but the bold moves are worth taking if it can make one feel at ease and home in the long run.
“Sobrang at peace ako sa kung nasaan ako ngayon. Not a day goes by na hindi ako thankful sa mga kasama ko at sa mga coaches ko na binigyan ako ng isa pang chance na mahanap ko ulit ‘yung sarili ko,” de Leon said.
“Isa pong karangalan po talaga na nandito kami ngayon. I’m just so thankful to all of them — to ate Ly (Valdez), to coach Sherwin (Meneses) na nagtiwala rin sa akin,” she added.
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