MANILA, Philippines – Bea de Leon didn't put up gaudy numbers but she has nonetheless proven that she is the queen in the latest week of the UAAP Season 81 women's volleyball tournament.
De Leon was solid and commanding for the Ateneo Lady Eagles as they went undefeated in two games en route to finishing the first round with a 6-1 record on the back of 6 straight wins.
The veteran middle blocker averaged 13.5 points in what was her best week scoring-wise on her way to being chosen as the Chooks-to-Go Collegiate Press Corps UAAP Player of the Week.
Those numbers won't jump out of the stats sheets, but Ateneo head coach Oliver Almadro puts a premium on De Leon's leadership.
"I never doubted the leadership of Bea ever since and I'm so lucky that she decided to play for her fifth year," said Almadro.
"Who would even sacrifice this much to wake up early every day, lead the team, and go to bed late at night? That in itself is leadership, that in itself is an example of being a good leader."
Still, De Leon's sudden jump in scoring was noticeable compared to her previous outings.
De Leon averaged just 6.0 points a game before she delivered 14 points in a four-set win over the Adamson Lady Falcons on Wednesday, March 13.
She then followed up with a 13-point outing in another four-set victory over the NU Lady Bulldogs on Saturday, March 16.
De Leon bested UST's Sisi Rondina, NU's Jennifer Nierva and La Salle's Tin Tiamzon for the weekly plum awarded by sportswriters from broadsheets, tabloids and online publication covering the beat. – Rappler.com
