UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas women’s volleyball star Eya Laure is longing for the day to play in the taraflex floor and help the Tigresses for a shot at a championship.
“Miss na kita, isang taon na nakalipas oh,” Laure posted with a pleading face emoji on her Twitter account early yesterday afternoon.
March 8, 2020 was the last time UAAP volleyball played, when the power-hitting Laure combo of Eya and EJ powered UST to a 25-20, 25-16, 25-18, romp of Far Eastern University at the Mall of Asia Arena.
It was the last time that the league had audience in the stands, as the high school boys basketball championship between Nazareth School of National University and FEU-Diliman on the following day was played behind close doors at the Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Bullpups won their second straight juniors basketball crown, 87-80, and on the same day, the UAAP announced that the March 10 women’s and men’s volleyball match between La Salle and University of the Philippines was postponed due to the continued spread of coronavirus during that time.
With the pandemic raging, it was on April 7 last year that the UAAP has decided to scrap Season 82, which includes the popular volleyball tournament, due to the Luzon-wide lockdown.
Late last year, the league has canceled the entire Season 83 tournaments and it is uncertain whether there will be Season 84 competitions come September, as the member schools continued to be hold classes online.
The UAAP has reiterated that it would not stage any games until face-to-face classes resumed.
With the league on hold, some student-athletes, especially the seniors, have decided to forego their playing eligibility to suit up for pro leagues PBA, Premier Volleyball League and Philippines Football League.
For Laure, one of the UAAP’s biggest volleyball draws, is hoping that this public health crisis will come to an end so she could showcase her talents again.
