After more than a year since she suffered a torn ACL on her left knee, Maddie Madayag returned to the taraflex on Thursday evening.
The 5-foot-11 middle blocker got her injury back on August 11, 2021, during Game One of the bronze medal series of the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.
Four-hundred, thirty-five days later, Madayag was twice inserted to serve in Choco Mucho’s 25-27, 25-22, 18-25, 25-22, 17-15 win over PLDT in the 2022 Reinforced Conference.
“Syempre I’m happy and at the same time excited na I get to play inside with the team again. Grateful din ako na all that hard work nung one year akong out naging worth it naman,” said the 2018 PVL Open Conference 1st Best Middle Blocker.
“Even though serve lang yung ginawa ko malaking bagay na rin yun. Lahat naguumpisa sa serve at least I get to help the team in any way I can,” added Madayag, who had a serving stint during the third and fifth sets.
Flying Titans head coach Oliver Almadro is elated to have Madayag back. This as her role expands more than the points she can score in a game.
“Maddie is a fighter and she’s a leader too so malaking bagay sa amin yung although natalo kami nung third set malaking bagay na everyone knows na their Ate Maddie is there,” shared Almadro.
“We needed her that time. We needed a leader,” the bench tactician said, referring to the 25-18 third period that High Speed Hitters took.
“Kasi yun naman yung pinapractice niya ngayon dahil hindi siya nakakatalon. She serves a lot, she defense a lot so I’m trusting her in that kind of situation and she’s been there. Alam niya yung ganong mga crucial moment.”
But Madayag herself was the first to temper expectations on her return to the volleyball court as she is not yet 100 percent.
However, she will always be ready to step up when the team needs her, in whatever capacity they may need, be it a server, a defense specialist, or just someone to rally the Titans.
“I actually accepted my role na for this conference na it’s not to play but to support the team in any way I can like sa service if kailangan ng serve and defense sa likod, ‘yun ‘yung gagawin ko,” she said.
“I’m always ready naman to play kung kailan ako tatawagin ni coach magiging ready lang talaga ako palagi.”
