MANILA, Philippines – Season 79 marks the beginning of a new era for UAAP women's volleyball. Some of the league's biggest names – players who competed in the Finals for five consecutive years – have graduated, leaving a hole not just in their teams but throughout the whole UAAP as well.

Gone from the Ateneo de Manila University is three-time MVP Alyssa Valdez, who led the Lady Eagles to five straight Finals appearances and two championships.

De La Salle University, meanwhile, bid goodbye to the much beloved tandem of Mika Reyes and Ara Galang, who exhausted their playing years after leading the Lady Spikers to the Season 78 championship.

Several other players have also left – Ateneo will miss Amy Ahomiro, and La Salle lost another defensive stalwart upon the graduation of Cyd Demecillo. Far Eastern University (FEU), meanwhile, will now be without veteran setter Gyzelle Sy, and Mylene Paat broke the hearts of Adamson University supporters when she opted not to play in her final season.

This is how collegiate sports have always worked, however. Rookies turn into veterans, some of them turn into bona fide stars, and then they graduate. New rookies, up-and-coming players, climb out their shadow to become the new stars of the league.

• READ: Updated UAAP 79 First Round Volleyball Schedule

With the biggest stars of seasons past having taken the next steps in their careers, let's take a look at the players who are tapped to take their place:

Adamson Lady Falcons – Jema Galanza

It can be argued that no player carries a heavier burden for her team in Season 79 than Adamson's Jema Galanza. The fourth-year player was the league's seventh-leading scorer last year, tallying 182 points for an Adamson team that finished with a woeful 3-11 record and missed the Final Four.

Last season, however, Galanza was ably supported by Mylene Paat, and Adamson had a pair of up-and-coming players in Joy Dacoron and May Roque. Paat is gone, having decided not to play in her fifth year, and Roque is recovering from an injury. Aside from Galanza, Dacoron is the only other returning Adamson player to have seen significant playing time in Season 78.

Hence, the pressure is on Galanza to provide not just scoring, but leadership for a young Adamson team that will enter Season 79 as an almost entirely new squad. Not only will they have several new players, they also have a new coach in Airess Padda.

"Mahirap para sa akin," Galanza admitted. "Iba 'yung mga teammates ko, at ang daming adjustment… Halos lahat, bago."

"Parang nacha-challenge ako, kasi ayun nga – ang daming nage-expect na ako nga ang magdadala sa team," she added. "Pero siyempre, ayaw ko naman na ako lang. Gusto ko, sila rin."

Though she is feeling some pressure, Galanza is also very much looking forward to Season 79. Adamson ended their Season 78 campaign on the lowest of notes, losing to the woeful University of the East (UE) team, and Galanza revealed that she was so disappointed with that loss that she wanted to return to training immediately after.

"Para sa akin, gusto ko talaga makabawi," she said. "Kaya habang naglalaro ako sa mga pro league, gusto ko mapanood 'yung mga magagaling na players, kasi gusto ko talagang gumaling. Kasi, gusto ko na matapos ako ng UAAP na nakapasok ako ng Final Four."

Ateneo Lady Eagles – Jhoana Maraguinot

All throughout Season 78, Maraguinot dealt with questions about being the "next Alyssa Valdez." She responded in her typically blunt fashion, repeatedly downplaying comparisons to the "Phenom."

Maraguinot actually had a higher attack percentage, 44.53%, than Valdez (41.88%) in Season 78. However, in Season 78, Maraguinot was not the Lady Eagles' primary option on offense. This year, she will likely have to take on that role for Ateneo. The team still has talented attackers – the towering Kat Tolentino, in particular, will be a great weapon for setter Jia Morado to have -- but Maraguinot is still their most experienced spiker.

Even with just days to go before the tournament, Maraguinot is still dismissing the notion that she is the team's "next ace." In an interview with CNN Philippines, she said: "I don't think it's like that, kasi ngayon nga with the new team, everyone's stepping up."

It is likely that Maraguinot will not be asked to shoulder as big a burden as Valdez did, given Ateneo's depth. Nevertheless, Ateneo's rebuilding phase will be hastened if Maraguinot proves to be as effective a first option as the "Phenom" did for the Lady Eagles.

De La Salle Lady Spikers – Kianna Dy

Perhaps the scariest thing about Kianna Dy is that she has yet to play one full season for De La Salle University. Coach Ramil de Jesus did not fully unleash "KKD" until the second round of Season 78, as she often came off the bench for most of the first round. However, Dy was a dominant force behind La Salle's straight-sets win over Ateneo when they first played, and she became a fixture in the starting six ever since.

Dy capped her breakout season by winning Finals MVP honors in their three-game triumph over Ateneo in the Finals, even scoring the championship point for the Lady Spikers.

She and the rest of the Lady Spikers got a huge boost when veteran setter Kim Fajardo decided to play out her final year of eligibility. Now, however, there is greater pressure than ever on Dy to improve upon last season's performance, and become a leader as well for La Salle.

"Personally, na-motivate ako. Siyempre, every time na maglalaro kami ni Ate Kim, iniisip ko na, 'Pinalaro mo si Ate Kim, kailangan maganda ang laro mo'," said Dy. "Ganoon 'yung self-motivation ko. It helps."

Now charged with a bigger role for the defending champions, Dy said she tries not to think too much about the pressure on their team, and instead puts her focus on what she can do for La Salle.

"I do what I can do to help the team," she said. "Whatever is needed… If kailangan ko 'yung mag-ganoon, gagawin ko. Whatever helps the team, I will do."

FEU Lady Tamaraws – Bernadeth Pons

Despite being the league's third-best scorer in Season 78 with 216 points, FEU's Bernadeth Pons still somehow manages to be underrated. However, in a discussion of the UAAP's best open spikers, there is no doubt that the high-flying Lady Tamaraw is firmly among the best.

Pons' ability to score has never been in question, but it is her floor defense that she truly takes pride in. She finished the season ranked fourth among diggers with 2.38 digs per set, ahead of their own libero Ria Duremdes. The only open hitter ranked ahead of Pons was University of Santo Tomas (UST) dynamo Cherry Rondina (2.4 digs per set).

After coming one game short of a Finals appearance in Season 78, Pons returns in Season 78 a more determined player.

"Sobrang sayang (ang Season 78)," she said, referring to their loss to La Salle in a do-or-die game in the Final Four. "Sobrang kulang pa talaga. 'Yung inexperience ng bawat isa sa amin, 'yung maturity inside the court, ayun ang winork out namin para sa season na ito."

"For this season, ayaw na namin ma-feel 'yung regret sa huli," she stressed. "Gusto namin na kung ano 'yung goal namin, dire-diretso na kami doon."

The goal, Pons said, is championship No. 30 for FEU, the most successful women's volleyball program in the UAAP.

"Last season, sobrang lapit na namin pero kulang pa rin. Parang 'yung last season 'yung magiging motivation namin for this coming season," she said.

NU Lady Bulldogs – Jaja Santiago

Jaja Santiago was already one of the best players in the UAAP last season, which saw her get her second Best Attacker citation. However, she was unable to lead the Lady Bulldogs to the Final 4, and so Santiago spent most of the offseason getting even better.

Stints in the Philippine Superliga, the Asian Women's Club Championship, and the FIVB Women's Club World Championship not only toughened up Santiago for the upcoming UAAP wars, it also put her on the radar of international coaches who saw great potential in the 6-foot-5 middle blocker.

Santiago returns to an NU team that is under great pressure to live up to expectations in Season 79. Their performance last season was a disappointment, but head coach Roger Gorayeb is more optimistic this time around, as he finally has a setter whom he trusts in Jasmine Nabor.

During the V-League Collegiate Conference, Nabor showed off her chemistry with Santiago, and the towering player is all praises for her new setter. With NU now having Fil-Japanese transferee Risa Sato in the fold, it appears there is no reason for them not to make it back to the semi-finals.

Even as the pressure mounts, Santiago remains cool and calm. She shrugs off questions about her team's depth – they only have 11 players in the line-up – and seems to have gotten past the chemistry issues that hounded them last year.

"Maraming nagsasabi na kailangan umabot na kayo ng Finals, or kaya ninyo nang mag-champion," Santiago says. "Pero kailangan hindi kami ma-pressure so sa ngayon, step by step lang para makuha namin yung gusto rin nila makuha."

"Kasi ayun nga, kapag minadali namin, baka hindi pa namin makuha or hindi pa kami makapasok," she points out.

UE Lady Warriors – Shaya Adorador

The last time Shaya Adorador played in the UAAP, she wound up crying tears of joy after leading the Lady Warriors to their first victory in three seasons. Adorador had scored 14 points in UE's 25-17, 25-22, 29-27 against Adamson to snap their school's 58-match losing streak.

Since then, Adorador has worked to further improve by playing for Generika in the PSL, where she was also joined by teammates Kath Arado and Roselle Baliton.

"Ang iniisip ko, dapat araw-araw, may natututunan," said Adorador. "Dapat araw-araw, may ini-improve sa sarili."

Success in the UAAP has been elusive for Adorador. Their win against Adamson last season was her first collegiate victory, and the experience has made her hungry for more.

"Pang-ilang taon ko na, sobra. Kaya sabik na sabik rin ako sa panalo," she admitted.

This season, they are more hopeful than ever. Adorador believes they can build on their victory over Adamson last season, and finally climb out of the UAAP cellar where they have been mired in for the past few seasons.

"Ang goal namin is umangat kami hanggang sa No. 4," she revealed. "Imposible man, pero gagawin namin kasi kailangan na."

UP Lady Maroons – Isa Molde

Much is expected from UP's Isa Molde, the reigning UAAP Rookie of the Year who last season showed potential to be a true star for the Lady Maroons. She shone brightest among UP's impressive rookie class last year, and wound up as the league's eighth-best scorer with 176 points as she helped her team reach the Final Four.

After setting the bar high last season, however, Molde is expected to be even better in Season 79. She was a repeated target of criticism from head coach Jerry Yee in their preseason games, with the veteran mentor acknowledging that Molde still has a long way to go before reaching the level of the league's best.

The young player cops to her inconsistency in the preseason, but believes she has improved since then. Having their three "super seniors" – Kathy Bersola, Nicole Tiamzon, and Pia Gaiser – back for their final seasons has helped, as well as their rigorous training camp in Japan last month.

"Siguro, maturity (ang improvement) ko," Molde said. "Maturity, and hopefully naman, nakakatulong naman ako sa skills. Siguro naman, every player ay hinihingan ng mga coaches na may maturity kapag naglalaro."

When asked about their goals for this season, Molde said they have to take every game one at a time, but also stressed the need for the Lady Maroons to play with more maturity now.

"Huwag lang daw naming isipin na kami pa rin 'yung pinaka-bata na team, kasi hindi na," Molde said. "'Yun na talaga 'yung totoo – kami 'yung pinaka-matandang team."

UST Golden Tigresses – Cherry Rondina

As a rookie, Cherry Rondina was UST's energizer off the bench, tasked to come in whenever the Tigresses were looking lethargic. As a sophomore, she established herself as their primary scorer, tallying 222 points – second in the league behind Alyssa Valdez.

In her third season, Rondina is now UST's team captain.

It is a role that surprised Rondina, but she stressed that the line under her number does not change the role she plays for the Tigresses. Yes, she is expected to be a leader now, but she was already fulfilling that role even last season. For Rondina, the captaincy is no burden, and no reason for her no change her game.

"Kung ano 'yung last year, same pa rin," she said. "Walang nagbago talaga."

If nothing has indeed changed, then UST fans are in for a treat. Last season, Rondina put on a show, using her incredible vertical leap to compensate for her height. Despite being on the short side for an open spiker, Rondina led UST in scoring, and also proved to be one of the league's best two-way players as she eventually finished as third-best digger in Season 78.

She gained even more fans after a stint with Foton in the Philippine Superliga, and then underscored her readiness for the indoor volleyball season after towing UST to the gold in the beach volleyball tournament.

It was her second title in beach volleyball, but it only served to make her hungrier for success in the indoor tournament.

"For me naman po, we really want na makabalik sa Finals. Siyempre, kung gusto niyo malaman ang goal namin talaga, 'yun po talaga," she revealed.

"Siyempre, maganda na rin po ang makapasok sa Final Four, pero mas maganda po pag Finals. Ta-trabahuhin namin. Hindi po kami mag-iiwan ng salita, basta trabaho, trabaho lang talaga," Rondina stressed.

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