Ara Galang: An untimely farewell to the season

With two sets under their belt late in the fourth set of the stepladder semifinals match against the NU Lady Bulldogs, the La Salle crowd rejoiced when team captain Ara Galang scored DLSU’s 23rd point through NU’s wall.

As La Salle inched closer to a finals rematch against the ADMU Lady Eagles, the euphoria was cut short as Galang was seen on the floor wincing in pain while holding on to her left knee after the attack. She was later on carried out of the court on a stretcher so that the match, one that the Lady Spikers eventually won, could continue.

What was supposed to be a rousing sweet victory turned out to be a bittersweet ending as the Taft-based squad booked another ticket to the finals, but without the on court presence of their top scorer and leader.

An unexpected blow

Galang was diagnosed with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and medial meniscus tears aside from the big bone bruise she suffered during the game.

Her injury came as a shock to everyone, especially during this crucial stage in their quest to reclaim the UAAP title from the undefeated Lady Eagles. La Salle’s head coach Ramil de Jesus did not expect Galang’s injury, especially because he ensures that all of his players undergo proper conditioning drills during training. Before the finals, he shared, “Every practice naman maayos [ang] ipinapakita niya so aksidente lang siguro talaga.”

As of press time, Galang is expected to rest and rehabilitate for about eight to 10 months before she can return to action.

Wasted momentum

The fourth year player from Angeles City, Pampanga had a bright rookie season in the UAAP. In UAAP Season 74, she was awarded the Rookie of the Year and the Best Server in addition to winning her first ever championship in the league.

The following season, she was crowned the UAAP Season 75 co-Most Valuable Player (MVP) together with teammate Abigail Maraño. She also won her second straight UAAP Women’s Volleyball title along with those awards. With such achievements in her collegiate career, Galang has become one of the most celebrated volleyball players of her generation.

Her mentor’s take

With the two-time champion’s sudden exit from the season, de Jesus admitted prior to the finals that it would be difficult for the rest of the team to adjust and get rid of the despair brought about by the incident, but he noted that they had to move on. “Kailangan magmove-on eh. Hindi pwedeng huminto dahil wala si Ara,” he said.

What happened to Galang shocked not just the UAAP, but also the entire Philippine volleyball community. No one expected that a player of her caliber would suffer such injuries in a time when her teammates need her the most.

Despite ending her season too early, de Jesus expressed that he is happy for what Galang has shown this season, especially as a first time team captain of the Lady Spikers. “Yung bata kasi na ‘yun, kahit medyo may nararamdaman o may masakit na parte sa katawan, hindi basta-basta umaayaw. Hindi mo mapapahindi,” he comments.

He then expressed the highest of compliments to Galang as he quipped, “Siguro kung maghahanap ka ng isang player, yung [tipong] Ara Galang talaga ang hahanapin mo.”