Going into the season, the open hitter slot has been a position of flux for the De La Salle University Lady Spikers.
While most volleyball teams derive majority of their points from the open hitters, La Salle mostly go to veteran opposite hitter Kianna Dy and middle blocker Majoy Baron. It, however, leaves the Taft-based spikers vulnerable when the first touch doesn’t go as planned.
The Lady Spikers have a great solution on their bench, though. Davao native May Luna was hotly recruited for her hitting prowess back in 2015.
Season 79 was supposed to be Luna’s breakout season, but back injuries before the season halted her progress. The five-foot-nine winger has spent most of the season getting back into shape.
Sunday afternoon though — in a win against the National University — she got ample playing time, scoring five points in two sets of play. The flashes of an offensive juggernaut are there; Luna has a mean arm and delivers a solid jump serve.
Head coach Ramil De Jesus is famed for pulling aces out of his sleeve mid-season, and Luna is the best candidate to serve the same role that Dy played in last season’s championship campaign.
“Happy naman kasi parang unti-unti naibabalik ni coach ‘yung tiwala [niya] sa akin,” Luna told Tiebreaker Times.
“Alam ko naman kasi na hindi parang sili ‘yung kundisyon ng tao na aanghang agad, kailangan talaga may time and maunti-unti ‘yung pagtatrabaho para makabalik; ‘yun ‘yung thinking ko.”
Sharing the same position as Tin Tiamzon and Desiree Cheng, Luna is playing her hardest to earn a more substantial spot.
“Ginagamit ko siyang [competing for playing time] motivation kasi lahat naman ng players gusto maglaro. At the same time, kailangan talaga double time ako,” the 18-year-old shared.
And with the season heading into its toughest stretch, it’s time for Luna to take the ball and run away with it.
