Arellano University's Pau De Guzman wasn't able to have a lot of offseason preparation as she figured in a motorcycle accident months before the NCAA Season 99 women's volleyball tournament.
Still, the 22-year-old opposite hitter continues to dazzle for Arellano as they are now well within the Final Four picture with just a few games left in the elimination round.
"Ilang weeks po ‘yun (recovery ko), three weeks ata, then malapit na NCAA so mga one month or two months lang po ‘yung preparation ko. February kasi ‘yun," the 5-foot-7 leaper shared to GMA News Online on Monday.
"Before mag-start NCAA, doon ko lang naramdaman na ‘okay, naka-recover na ako’.
[My recovery took a few weeks, three weeks, I think. And it was already close to the NCAA season so I had only one or two months of preparation. That was in February. Before the NCAA started, it was only then that I felt, 'Okay, I've recovered.']
De Guzman is the current top scorer for the Lady Chiefs, amassing a total of 90 points built on 81 attacks, five aces, and four blocks through just seven games to help the former three-time champions rack up four wins against three losses so far.
Their biggest win so far was a four-set triumph against strong contender University of Perpetual Help System DALTA on Sunday, where De Guzman dropped a team-high 17 points anchored on 12 attacks, three aces, and two blocks.
De Guzman said her resurgence was also rooted from the need for her to step up during the times they missed the services of sophomore star Laika Tudlasan, who also suffered from a back injury early in the contest.
"Kahit naman po last season, sinabihan na ako nila coach na kailangan ako doon. Kailangan ko rin mag-step up kasi wala si Laika," she added.
[Even last season, I was told by the coaches that I was needed. I needed to step because Laika was not there.]
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
