MANILA, Philippines – For the first time in a long while, friends Bea de Leon and Ponggay Gaston will find themselves on the opposite sides of the court.
Having been teammates since their college days in Ateneo, de Leon and Gaston will now be foes as the latter left the Choco Mucho Flying Titans for the Chery Tiggo Crossovers.
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In the upcoming All-Filipino Conference of the Premier Volleyball League, the two Blue Eagles standouts will wear different names on their jerseys.
Though now rivals on the court, De Leon had nothing but good wishes for her former teammate.
"Actually, for the longest time, we've been playing [together] since Ateneo so she will be on the other side after so many years," De Leon said during the pre-tournament press briefing of the PVL All-Filipino Conference last Saturday.
"And more than anything, I'm excited for her din. It's a new journey in her life and I really just wish her all of the best," she added.
De Leon is looking to continue their momentum in Choco Mucho as they seek a podium finish as a young team, while Gaston will try to fill in the hole left by now Akari Charger Dindin Santiago-Manabat, along with new teammate Mylene Paat.
The Flying Titans skipper bared that she and Gaston had always been competitive against each other, even when they were on the same team.
Now that they are on different sides of the court and with more bearing in their rivalry, De Leon looks forward to testing her mettle against her fellow UAAP champion.
"Well, definitely on court I’m very excited... because even in training when we go against each other lagi naman kami nagkakantsawan and everything so it’s probably gonna happen also in the games," she quipped.
Still, what matters most to De Leon will be seeing Gaston succeed on her own.
"More than anything I just wish her all of the best and sana she reaches her bigger dreams and bigger goals," she said.
The All-Filipino Conference kicks off Saturday, February 4, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
De Leon and the Flying Titans will open the action against Akari in the first game at 4 p.m., while the Creamline Cool Smashers and the Petro Gazz Angels engage in a finals rematch of the Reinforced Conference in the main game at 6 p.m.
As for Gaston and the Crossovers, they will begin their season against the Cignal HD Spikers on Tuesday, February 7, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.