With her collegiate career winding down, Joan Monares can only lament the stop-and-start nature of her final campaign as a UP Fighting Maroon.
Despite announcing during the pre-season press conference that persistent back injuries would limit her to second-round action in the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Volleyball Tournament, the Bacolod Tay Tung alumna was forced into earlier duty in the first round.
This premature return ultimately aggravated her injury, sidelining her again for further medical evaluation.
“My back injury… What we talked about before na second round nga yung dapat me playing, but then, yun nga, medyo kinailangan pumasok nung first round,” said Monares.
“Medyo hindi maganda sa katawan ko yung effect nun. So I had to… Pumunta ulit para magpa-check-up. Rehab lang ulit, then try again kung better na.”
Injuries have been a major obstacle for UP in its quest to make the Final Four in Season 88.
While Monares should have been in recovery mode early in the campaign, the Fighting Maroons’ misfortune worsened when Caisey Dongallo’s debut season ended prematurely after she tore the ACL and meniscus in her left knee against the FEU Lady Tamaraws last March 8.
Amid UP’s injury struggles, coach Fabio Menta has been forced to play his players out of position.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
In the Fighting Maroons’ straight-sets win over the UE Lady Warriors on Sunday, Kianne Olango and Jelai Gajero — both of whom began Season 88 as opposite spikers — found themselves deployed as outside hitters.
Olango (18 points and seven receptions) and Gajero (11 points, 12 digs, and eight receptions) both performed well against the Lady Warriors. However, questions remain about their consistency against fellow Final Four contenders such as the Lady Tamaraws, Adamson Lady Falcons, and UST Growling Tigresses.
Monares, however, has faith in her teammates’ ability to step up in her absence as the race to the Final Four intensifies.
“Alam ko naman na kaya nila,” said the 24-year-old outside hitter. “Walang doubt. Lahat naman sa team, I believe, kaya naman nilang mag-step up.
“It’s a matter of trust na lang siguro within themselves sa paglaro sa loob ng court. Lahat naman kami, suportado lang.”
On a personal note, Monares was vague when asked about her next return to action. Having missed UP’s games against National University and UE in the second round, it remains unclear when she will play again.
For her part, she stays ready whenever the team calls on her.
“Wala naman, pero depende. Pero siyempre, nagre-ready lang ako if ipapasok ako,” said Monares.
#WATCH: JOAN UPDATE ✊
Joan Monares provides an update on her back injury, which was aggravated during the first round of #UAAPSeason88 🏐#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/cMv0yVJZHa
📹 @lorenzodelc /Tiebreaker Times#UAAPSeason88 pic.twitter.com/Y8r6dBYjaK
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 22, 2026
