UAAP: Doromal ready to step up for rebuilding Ateneo | ABS-CBN

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UAAP: Doromal ready to step up for rebuilding Ateneo

UAAP: Doromal ready to step up for rebuilding Ateneo

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

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Ateneo's Roma Mae Doromal in UAAP Season 85. UAAP Media.
Ateneo's Roma Mae Doromal in UAAP Season 85. UAAP Media.

MANILA — The Ateneo Blue Eagles will be embarking on a new journey in the upcoming UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament.

The Katipunan-based squad, who missed the league’s Final Four for the first time in over a decade, will be headed by a new coach in Sergio Veloso who replaced Oliver Almadro.

Vannie Gandler and Faith Nisperos have also ended their collegiate careers and have opted to play in the Premier Volleyball League, but fortunately for them, they can still lean on new team captain and Blue Eagles veteran Roma Mae Doromal.

“Very excited kami to play another season, especially now that we have a new coach,” she said during the league’s press conference earlier today at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. 

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Doromal shared that while they are still adjusting to the sets of coach Veloso, the Brazilian mentor’s system is proving to be working for them so far during their preparations. 

“Okay naman, nakaka adjust na kami and we're happy sa system niya and nakikita namin na nagwu work siya sa amin,” she said.

The Blue Eagles even managed to place fourth in the recently concluded Akari Invitational Cup, only a win away from a podium finish. 

But Doromal admitted that it was not that easy, especially since they were already used to the system of Almadro, who is now the coach of the UP Fighting Maroons. 

“Sobrang nahirapan kami pero yun nga part talaga yung mahirapan kami kasi bago lahat, madaming binago,” the libero said.

“Tine-take lang namin step-by-step, and now nakukuha naman na namin.”

Circling back on her role as team captain, Doromal added that it was one of the main reasons why she opted to stay with Ateneo.

“In-embrace ko lang with full heart. And para sa’kin, kaya rin siguro bumalik ako kasi with this purpose,” she bared. 
 
“I'm very grateful din na magkaroon ng ganitong purpose na maging leader.”

Moving forward, while Doromal said that what they want is to return to the Final Four, their focus as of the moment is to take their assignments one game at a time. 

“Of course, ang goal namin is to play each game with a hundred percent lalo na yung ma-apply namin yung system ni coach Sergio and of course makabalik sa Final Four,” she said. 

“Syempre gusto namin [maipanalo] lahat, but then ite-take namin every game with 100% na effort and performance,” she concluded. 


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