The UAAP has been a home to many talented players from all over the country. It is a place where athletes further hone and develop their skills so they may join professional leagues and international competitions in the future.
A force to be reckoned with, Manilla Santos-Ng was one of the fearless athletes that the UAAP witnessed 10 years ago when she was still playing for the Green-and-White. Most people in this generation might not be familiar with her, but the four-time UAAP champion evidently left her mark in collegiate volleyball, with her name even hanging from the rafters at the Enrique M. Razon Sports Center.
A decade after her UAAP stint, the former Lady Spiker has found her way back to the court, deciding that it was time to show the younger generation of volleyball athletes and enthusiasts the brand of play that she can still bring to the table. She is now playing for Choco Mucho Flying Titans in the Premier Volleyball League under the mentorship of ADMU head coach Oliver Almadro.
Change of perspective
Being away from the sport helped her learn that real life was just as “challenging” and “exciting” as the game, as Santos-Ng says, “Having a family of my own and children are another gift from God that I will always be grateful about.”
Although she had to shift her focus to different priorities after her stint as a student-athlete, her love and interest for the game never faded. “I always made sure that I [would] watch the games of [the] DLSU women’s volleyball team to support them,” Santos-Ng shares, narrating how several people would still ask for a photo with her, which her son noticed.
“My husband explained to my son that it was because of my collegiate playing days. My son then [said] that he wanted to see me play again,” she recounts, citing it as one of the reasons that encouraged her to make a comeback.
The returning player emphasizes, “I never really closed my doors [to] playing. It [was] just a matter of time.” When asked by the Choco Mucho team management to suit up for them in the Premier Volleyball League, Santos-Ng carefully deliberated the decision since she was well aware that the journey back could not be accomplished overnight. However, upon making up her mind, the seasoned veteran began her workouts, such as core and full body strengthening, as she brought herself to a certain level of fitness.
Though she has since found her way back into volleyball, Santos-Ng believes that her body still needs to adapt to the current demands of the sport. “Losing weight has always been a challenge for me because after my second pregnancy, I gained 50 pounds and I was totally out of shape. I was determined to fight my personal battles, so I started losing weight when I was allowed to do low impact exercises,” she discloses.
Spending a long time away from the volleyball scene, Santos-Ng had to prepare and condition herself to be able to keep up with the other players. It was this whole journey and process that became the most “special” aspect of her comeback.
Volleyball through the years
Santos-Ng recognizes how the sport has developed since her time on the court. “The level of play and skills of volleyball players have improved a lot,” the former Lady Spiker affirms. She also credits the foreign talent entering the semi-professional leagues and conferences for increasing the level of competitiveness and challenging local players to step up, “Imports started to show up and made the local players aspire for a much higher standard in terms of agility, skills, and power.”
Aside from the players themselves, the atmosphere and public interest in volleyball have also changed over the decade. The 5-foot-4 outside hitter acknowledges the influence supporters offer in helping the sport’s viewership, “Volleyball’s reach has improved a lot also through mainstream media and online media content, thus creating a huge following and fan base.”
The number of fans grows with each year, and many of them continue to keep track of their favorite athletes as they advance to other leagues.
With the valiant effort that propelled her to initial collegiate level success, the former Lady Spiker remains ever grateful to the supporters who stood by her and the Green-and-White. As she acknowledges, “[The Lasallian community was] there during our brightest and even our darkest days. So on behalf of my teammates and coaches, we are thankful and grateful for everyone who supported us and [who is] still supporting the team.”
Santos-Ng was the first female athlete to have her jersey retired by the University. Despite now playing in a different league and cementing a legacy for herself outside of Taft, Santos-Ng has been and will continue to be remembered among legends in Lasallian sports and in Philippine volleyball history.
