It’s crucial for all players on a volleyball court to be well-rounded athletes who can perform any skill when needed.
Ateneo de Manila University’s Michelle Morente is one of the best examples of this.
In the Lady’s Eagles’ five-set win over the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws, Morente was all over the stats sheet, scoring 17 points off 12 attacks, two blocks, and three aces. She also provided a steady backrow presence with 16 digs and 12 receptions off 30 attempts.
After sitting out a season due to academic reasons, many are comparing Morente to Ateneo basketball great Ryan Buenafe, who had also missed a UAAP season only to come back and become one of the team’s most reliable stars during their Season 75 championship campaign.
Ever the team player, Morente defers credit to her teammates, especially to team captain and setter Jia Morado, who had even played against FEU with an illness.
“For now, it was good. Sa 17 points ko, I give Jia the credit kasi she really played great today kahit may sakit siya. She still pushed herself to do her best,” the California-native said.
The 5-foot-7 outside hitter was elated that she could contribute to get a much-needed win against such a tough opponent.
“Happy kami kasi even though we were down, we pushed ourselves and didn’t give up. FEU is a tough opponent talaga. So parang kami, nagagamit namin ‘yung ginagawa namin sa training,” the fourth-year Atenean shared.
And the Ateneo Lady Eagles need more of this kind of outings from their senior to survive this season.
