Cebuana Deanna Wong of Ateneo sets up her teammates in a game against FEU in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament. | Inquirer photo
The Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles have been on a tremendous tear, winning nine straight games capped by a thorough dismantling of Far Eastern University (FEU) in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday.
A huge reason for that is Cebuana Deanna Wong, the comely setter who sets the table up for Ateneo’s big hitters.
Against FEU, the former University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) standout was in her element, registering 30 of Ateneo’s 33 excellent sets, while also making 12 digs on top of her four points.
After opening the UAAP season with a loss, Ateneo has since soared and secured itself of at least a playoff for the Final Four with a 9-1 win-loss record.
But while her teammates have heaped praise and credit on the Cebuana, Wong herself is quick to deflect those back to her teammates and coaches, as well as her ever-supportive family.
“It’s because of them that I’ve been playing like this. Without them, I wouldn’t be who I am. Also to my family, without their support I wouldn’t reach where I am now.”
Although Ateneo is the hottest team in the league, Wong explained that they remain as hungry as ever as they aim to bring the UAAP title back to Katipunan.
“I feel happy but the job’s not done. It shouldn’t overwhelm me because as what Coach O (Oliver Almadro) say’s we’re as good as our last game. I’m happy that I’m slowly improving every game but there’s still more to learn and more room for improvement.”
The team’s cohesion is what Wong alluded to as the primary difference in their level of play this season, fueling their confidence in every match.
“I think the team is more confident now and you can really see how the team works together. It’s that winning desire that we all have that makes all of us eager to win and get closer to our goal.” /bmjo