Thrust into the main libero gig for La Salle, Lyka De Leon is more than willing to step up and fill in the void left by Justine Jazareno.
With the departure of Justine Jazareno, La Salle needed a capable defensive specialist to fill in the void.
As it turns out, the Lady Spikers need not look far for a promising replacement.
Libero Lyka De Leon had showcased her wares in DLSU's 2-0 start in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament.
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The 20-year-old sophomore ably guarded the floor in the Lady Spikers' season-opening win over Adamson with 12 digs and eight excellent receptions, before delivering a 16-dig, 12-reception production in their sweep of Far Eastern University on Wednesday.
"With the sudden departure ni Ate [Justine Jazareno], parang out of the blue, na-force akong mag-step up," De Leon bared after earning player of the game honors.
De Leon saw limited minutes in the previous season as DLSU heavily leaned on Jazareno's defensive brilliance. But as the latter decided to turn pro and join the Akari Chargers in the Premier Volleyball League, De Leon had to embrace the challenge.
Fortunately for De Leon, the Lady Spikers' coaches have been nothing short of supportive.
"At first, parang nahirapan po talaga ako pero ginabayan naman po ako ng coaches, sinuportahan ako ng mga teammates ko na kaya ko naman daw. Unti-unti, I’ll get there," she shared.
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De Leon knows that she still has a lot to give for the Taft-based squad, and she's more than willing to put in the work to improve as the season progresses.
"Good thing po na nabi-build ko na 'yung confidence and 'yung character ko pero, overall, hindi pa po ako super satisfied [with] how I performed today. Marami pa pong lapses," the fleet-footed libero said.
"As a team, parang, hindi po kami satisfied by winning two games. We have bigger goals than this."
With a strong desire for improvement, De Leon will continue to provide DLSU the coverage it needs in its title-retention bid.
The Lady Spikers next assignment is the UST Golden Tigresses on Sunday, Feb. 25 – a contest that will air live on One Sports, One Sports+ and the Pilipinas Live app.