MANILA, Philippines – A 19-match losing streak and a health scare has not dampened Adamson University star Jema Galanza's passion for volleyball.
Galanza sat out Adamson's UAAP Season 79 game against Ateneo de Manila University on Sunday upon the advice of her doctor. The open hitter collapsed just outside of their home last Thursday night, and went through a battery of tests to make sure that nothing was wrong.
Without Galanza, the Lady Falcons were barely competitive against the Lady Eagles. Of the 37 total points that they scored in the game, 20 came off Ateneo's errors, and the Katipunan volleybelles cruised to a 25-13, 25-13, 25-11 win.
"Masakit sa akin na hindi ako nakakalaro," said Galanza, the lone veteran in Adamson's roster and their most reliable source of offense. "Ako, sa part ko, gustong-gusto ko maglaro sa loob, pero hindi nga pwede."
"Pinipigilan ko rin, kasi hindi nga ako makasigaw kanina. Pigil nga lahat," she added. "Nakakausap ko lang sila pag lumalabas sila."
[It was difficult for me to miss the game. I really wanted to play, but I wasn't allowed to. I couldn't even cheer for my teammates. I could only talk to them during timeouts.]
According to Adamson coach Airess Padda, Galanza would have definitely made a difference if she had been inside the court. For one, the Lady Falcons would have played with more confidence, and they would be able to put up more points.
However, Padda also conceded that Galanza would not have been able to tow them to victory against an Ateneo team that is currently No. 1 in the league standings.
"Even with Jema there, I'm not too sure that we would have won any sets," Padda admitted. "I mean, I think we would have gotten close. As you can see, she plays a huge role in our team."
'Burnt out'
Padda was not surprised when Galanza informed her that she would have to miss Sunday's game, noting that Galanza "kind of looked like a zombie" when she went to practice last Saturday.
But Padda made it clear that she was not in any way blaming Galanza for not playing. In fact, she believes that the difficult season that they are enduring contributed to Galanza's sickness.
"I believe her dehydration and her exhaustion is due to the season that we're having. It's very stressful for her, emotionally and physically," said the American coach.
"When we have our tough practices, she does most of the work. She never goes easy… She's burnt out," Padda said.
So far, in the Season 79 tournament, Adamson has won only two sets. Galanza, who experienced trips to the Final 4 early in her collegiate career, will not deny that the 19-match losing streak has been frustrating, to say the least.
"Sa istado ng team namin, siguro naman, oo, nararamdaman ko (ang frustration)," she acknowledged.
"Pero hindi sa point na sumusuko na ako," Galanza quickly added. "Siyempre, tuloy pa rin kasi siguro nga, challenge ito sa Adamson. Siguro kaya ganito, may magandang mangyayari sa susunod."
"So tuloy-tuloy lang 'yung laban."
[I do feel frustrated about the state of our team, but not to the point where I will just give up. We have to keep pushing, because I believe that this is just a challenge for Adamson. There's something good on the horizon, so we have to keep fighting.]
Push to play
Galanza will not know the results of her tests – a 2D echo, an x-ray, and a blood test – until Tuesday. She is hopeful that everything will turn out fine, though she can understand why her family wanted her to be checked thoroughly after her collapse. Galanza's older sister, Justine, died due to a congenital heart disease in July 2016.
"Sa akin naman, siguro wala naman sana [I hope it's nothing serious]," said Galanza.
When asked what she plans to do if her doctor advises her to sit out the rest of the UAAP tournament, Galanza barely hesitated before saying: "Hindi ko alam (pero) baka i-push ko maglaro [I want to keep playing]."
The veteran spiker said she has no intentions of giving up even as they trudge through a difficult campaign that has featured one lopsided loss after another.
"Ayaw ko naman matapos ito, 'yung mga games namin na wala ako," she said. "Gusto ko makatulong. Kahit ganito 'yun, kahit wala kaming panalo, gusto ko pa rin na nakikita ng teammates ko na lumalaban ako."
"Ayaw ko kasi 'yung nararamdaman nila na ako 'yung taong sumusuko," she added. "So laban lang."
[I don't want this season to end without me playing. I want to help my team, even though we don't have a win yet. I want my teammates to see that I'm still fighting. I don't want them to think that I'm giving up.]
Adamson returns to action on Saturday against defending champion De La Salle University.
(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)
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