AJ Pareja and Charo Soriano of the Ateneo Spikers
It was like a boot camp as the coach threw and spiked the ball to every corner of the court, expecting his boys to hit it every time. The old players got their share of the intense training, but it was the new recruits that received a heftier dose of volleyball.
With the UAAP volleyball season soon to begin, the team is not taking any chances.
The boys are back
One rookie, Xavier Señoren (I BS CTM), was hit by the ball several times, eventually falling down out of exhaustion. His teammates had to assist him as he limped to the sidelines. Next in line was sophomore setter Eduardo Ortega (II BS Mgt) who also had a hard time keeping up with the one-on-one exercise.
This is the scenario you’d see if you dropped by the Blue Eagle Gym on any given afternoon. The Ateneo Blue Spikers are serious about breaking into the Final Four this season and they are working hard to earn this spot. This is the new men’s volleyball team, and with it, new Team Captain Andre Joseph “AJ” Pareja (IV BS Bio).
Being a captain
It wasn’t a tough choice for AJ to go into competitive volleyball. With older brother Paolo (MBA ‘08) serving as a role model and a number of schools eyeing him since grade school, it was more of a decision on which school he’d play for.
“[A former volleyball program head told me,] ‘We don’t promise you to be the very best in this sport. We don’t promise you all the glory that comes with it. But we can assure you your future.’ And there I decided to go to Ateneo,” he says.
Indeed, his education is also a major reason why he opted to don the Blue-and-White. “If I weren’t in the varsity team, I would probably be in the Dean’s List. But I don’t have any regret, I want to be in this team,” he says. Currently a senior, he plans to go to the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health next year and play again for the Blue Spikers.
Being captain is certainly a job only for those who dare. “When you’re a captain, you’re always expected to deliver… You should be the last person to give up and mahirap yun eh (that’s hard) especially in a rookie-laden team,” says the 6’4” AJ.
Former Captain Maria Rosario “Charo” Soriano (MBA) agrees. “When it comes to volleyball, I sacrifice a lot of things,” she says. “That’s when I realized that I am very passionate about this sport. So, I say, why not this sport?”
She surely is passionate as several ankle sprains, broken joints, and knee injuries did not succeed in stopping her. “No pain, no gain,” she says, revealing that she worked twice as hard each time she came back from an injury.
Charo further explains that it takes a strong heart and a determined will to be able to sustain the training for varsity, especially in a school as prestigious and as sports-oriented as Ateneo.
No one is born for anything
Playing volleyball since her seventh grade at Colegio de San Agustin, Charo admits that she would be lying if she said she did not have a hard time at first.
“When I was a freshman, I was exposed to the competitive aspect of the sport, hence, the training regimen was all new to me,” says Charo. “Before, it was difficult to adjust from my old lifestyle. However, after much practice and proper time management, I was able to cope. I think it’s all about setting your priorities and at the same time prioritizing them.”
Charo adds that doing well in a sport does not come naturally. “No one is born for anything. You may have the skills to succeed but if you don’t have the determination and the will–then all will be futile. If you want something–you work hard for it. Same goes for volleyball.”
With the UAAP volleyball season fast approaching, it’s now crunch time for the boys and girls. They train everyday, including Sundays, to prepare for the court wars. “This came from our coach: Someone predicted that we will end 7-7 this year, 7 wins and 7 losses, and if this happens, we’ll be able to break into the Final Four. That’s really our target this year,” AJ says.
As for the former captain Charo, “I’ll be cheering the loudest!”
