After a rocky 0-2 start highlighted by injuries to key players, Ateneo de Manila University finally found its groove as it pulled off an impressive win over erstwhile unbeaten University of the Philippines in Season 87 University Athletic Association of the Philippines women’s volleyball tournament.

Blue Eagles head coach Sergio Veloso said their breakthrough 25-18, 25-22, 25-18 over the Fighting Maroons pumped them up, inspiring them to work harder in a bid to reclaim the glory in the country’s most prestigious collegiate league.

In particular, he gave credit to Sophie Buena, who dropped 17 points and six digs despite nursing an ankle injury that she sustained in their season-opener against Adamson University on 13 February.

“Sophie is a very good player. But when I assess players, I see that some need a little more time to recover,” Veloso said, saying that they need other players to step up if they want to make it to the Final Four.

“After Wednesday, we had four more days of practice, and Sophie kept working hard. Today, she played very well.”

‘Sophie is a very good player. But when I assess players, I see that some need a little more time to recover.’

Aside from Buena, also getting bitten by the injury bug were Zel Tsunashima and JLo delos Santos, who crashed with serious injuries that prompted them to miss the remainder of the season.

But the Brazilian mentor remains optimistic, saying that he needs to give other players some rest so they will be at their best when they fill the void created by Tsunashima and Delos Santos’ absence.

“A lot of teams have more players, and sometimes you need a little rest so you can help improve other players,” Veloso said.

“This is a big problem because we lost Geezel and JLo so close together, but I push all my players in practice so that they are always ready.”

Veloso’s philosophy of preparation and adaptability was evident as his squad rose to the challenge against UP. He emphasized that his training regimen prioritizes player development while preventing overexertion that leads to injuries.

“First, it’s good to talk about Geezel, JLo, and Sophie too. It’s an accident, okay? Sometimes, when you cross the line as a player, like when you overtrain or push too hard, you risk causing damage. And for us, that’s a no.”

Veloso highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance between physical conditioning and player safety, ensuring that injuries are minimized and recovery is optimized.

“With a good physiotherapy plan and a good physical training program, when you have this kind of accident, you can recover faster. And sometimes, the damage isn’t too severe,” said Veloso, whose wards will gun for their second straight win when they face Far Eastern University on Sunday.