Nearly two years since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, the repercussions of halting sports activities such as the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) continue to be felt. As a result, graduating athletes in the UAAP who were primed for one final dance before their college careers were pushed to an early end due to the onset of the pandemic.

The long layoff and the unknown return of the UAAP made players question their current path, with some eventually making alterations to their athletic careers. While some athletes joined the local professional leagues, others made their way overseas to play internationally. On the collegiate level, most student-athletes had their playing years cut short during the pandemic, while several prematurely ended their college athletic careers even before the lockdowns were put in place.

The GUIDON Sports’ November–December Watchlist will be taking a look at two student-athletes of the Ateneo volleyball and football programs, and their decision to leave the eagle’s nest.

Kat Tolentino

Kat Tolentino’s first year in the UAAP was a struggle due to her Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries which kept her out for the entirety of UAAP Season 78. This would be her third time to suffer that same injury—twice on the left leg and once on the right—a rarity in any sports capacity. Despite this injury-riddled start, Tolentino ultimately etched her name onto Ateneo history in Season 81, leading her team to their first championship in four years and being named Best Opposite Spiker.

There were rumors of Tolentino’s exit from the UAAP in 2019 after she signed off during the Thanksgiving Mass following the championship. Six months later, Tolentino  announced her intent to return to the Lady Eagles in their title defense season. After just one game, however, the Philippines went into lockdown and the UAAP season was postponed.

With the 82nd UAAP season close to cancellation, the Filipino-Canadian decided to graduate from the amateurs and move on to the professional leagues, suiting up for the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).

Because of the pandemic, the PVL had to resort to a bubble setup for the league’s games, which was different from the usual packed stadiums they played in months prior. Although some things remained the same for Tolentino as she joined former Lady Eagle teammates Maddie Madayag, Bea De Leon, and Deanna Wong on Coach Oliver Almadro’s Flying Titans. The familiarity helped send Choco Mucho to the semifinals before succumbing to the eventual champions the Chery Tiggo Crossovers.

Despite falling short, Tolentino bagged the Best Opposite Spiker plum of the tournament. As Tolentino continues to acclimatize to her new team, she is ready to prove just how promising she can be, far removed from her injury-laden start to collegiate volleyball.

The 26-year-old Tolentino was one of many college athletes that didn’t complete their playing years in the UAAP due to the pandemic. In contrast, football phenom Jarvey Gayoso made his career-altering decision even before the nationwide lockdown.

Jarvey Gayoso

Compared to other collegiate stars whose athletic careers were cut short, Jarvey Gayoso made the decision to forego his final playing year in UAAP Season 82 even before the pandemic. In a February 2020 post on his own Instagram account, Gayoso announced his decision to skip his final playing year because of offers to play professionally overseas. These offers came after his stellar performances for the national team in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. As preparation for his pending move abroad, Gayoso announced his intention to join local football leagues.

Before deciding to play professionally, Gayoso forged a dominant football career representing Ateneo in both the UAAP Juniors’ and Seniors’ divisions. In his rookie collegiate year in Season 78, Gayoso was awarded as the best striker of the season with his 11 goals. He continued his dominance by winning the same award for the next three seasons.

The football phenom also bagged two MVP awards while helping Ateneo claim two championships in Seasons 79 and 81. Following an impressive collegiate career and remarkable performances internationally, the young footballer landed a spot on the Azkals Developmental Team (ADT).

As a member of the ADT, Gayoso steered the team to a third place finish in the 2020 Philippine Football League. He later signed for Kaya FC-Iloilo and played for the team in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League before returning to the ADT. The experiences gained from these leagues proved to be vital as the Atenean recently led the ADT to the Copa Paulino Alcantara finals by scoring five goals against Mendiola in the quarterfinals.

Gayoso followed up this performance with a game-tying header in the 66th minute against Stallions Laguna, 1-1. The ADT proceeded to win the semifinals, 2-1, but not before Gayoso exited the match with a hamstring injury that also ruled him out of the finals. The ADT ultimately lost the finals, 1-0, to Kaya-Iloilo, but Gayoso’s efforts throughout the competition were rewarded as he received the Golden Boot award.

Gayoso’s flourishing professional athletic career continues to serve as an example of the plethora of possibilities available for student-athletes should they decide to go down that road.

Flying on their own

The Commission on Higher Education on November 17 gave the go signal for collegiate teams to resume training under strict protocols. This means that the long hiatus for student-athletes when it comes to on-site activities will soon be over. However, nearly two years of no competitive tournaments will be a tough adjustment for student-athletes as they will need to pace themselves to avoid possible injuries—something that no athlete wants.

As the situation surrounding the athletic activities—both professional and amateur—in the country eases and collegiate teams are allowed to train, more Ateneans will experience the same dilemma Tolentino and Gayoso faced in their final playing year. Once the UAAP resumes and Philippine sports returns to a sense of normalcy, only time will tell if more eagles decide to take on the professional sporting world.