De La Salle legend Manilla Santos-Ng had been away from competitive volleyball for almost 10 years.
But that long hiatus did not diminish her passion for the sport and her drive for competition.
Her performance in Choco Mucho’s debut in the 2019 PVL Open Conference, Wednesday afternoon, was a testament to just that.
The 34-year-old immediately made her presence felt when she checked in for Shang Berte midway through the opening salvo. She patrolled the defense in the backrow, and dealt damage in the service area that gave her team a 21-8 lead — the largest cushion in the match.
“Sa totoo lang, super excited ako to play. At the same time, may kaba kasi it’s been a long time.
“Pero kanina nung naka-serve ako at pumasok siya, medyo nagkaroon ako ng kumpiyansa, and thankful ako na napagbigyan ako ng ganoon chance,” added the 5-foot-4 hitter moments after Choco Mucho swept Bali Pure for their first win.
Though she only played in the first two sets and had two points in her return, Santos-Ng is grateful to be back on the court, especially since the game was at the FilOil Arena in San Juan City.
To put things into perspective, that was where she last tasted victory and played to her heart’s content. That was when her Lady Spikers fended off a Rachel Daquis-led Far Eastern University and reigned supreme in the UAAP Season 71 women’s volleyball finals.
In Game Three of that match, she poured in 16 pts — built on 13 attacks, two kill blocks and an ace — laced with 10 excellent receptions before a jampacked San Juan Arena.
“Same venue ten years ago. It feels so good to be back. I really can’t believe na makapaglaro ako. I was given this opportunity to play again. Super happy,” she said.
But so much can change in 10 years. For her part, she is taking her time to properly adjust while still keeping her focus on volleyball.
“Mas maraming interview ngayon. Kaliwa’t kanan meron. Nakakapanibago pero okay lang naman. Basta importante, hindi lang mawala yung focus doon sa paglalaro,” she said.
“Nakakapanibago pero masasanay din tayo diyan.”
