(Photo by Joseph Charles Lim)
Story by Hannah Pagaduan and Glycerin de Vera
Traditional gender stereotypes often reject the idea of women excelling in fields such as sports, where they are often perceived as weaker and not as capable as their counterparts.
However, Maria Arielle “Ayel” Estrañero of the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons bravely takes the challenge on proving that gender is never a disadvantage.
Estrañero, senior playmaker of the UP Women’s Volleyball Team (WVT), has been making a name for herself in the collegiate volleyball scene since she made her debut in the 77th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).
The 22-year old is a versatile player, having held various positions such as hitter, libero, and setter. She was also instrumental in helping the UP WVT secure both the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Collegiate Conference and Philippine Super Liga (PSL) Collegiate Grand Slam Conference championships last year.
“The two off-season championships really felt good. Especially the PVL win, because it’s been a really long time since the UP Women’s Team earned a championship,” she said.
Facing the challenges
But achievements don’t come without challenges. For the team, she said, after winning both championships, they faced pressure going into this UAAP season.
“[We knew] that everyone will really expect a lot from us since we really performed well during off-season,” Ayel said. “UAAP is a different story. The journey is different. The intensity and the need to really perform well to be able to win games is different compared to PSL and PVL.”
As student-athletes, she said, time management is another challenge they have to work on as they allot a huge amount of their time for practice.
“The sport demands so much of your time--in training, outside training, for team meetings, team bonding in order to build the teamwork and the chemistry of the team-- not just inside the court but also outside the court,” Ayel said.
Furthermore, Ayel mentioned that since most of the team members are dormers, they spend most of their time away from their families and friends.
“Of course, you would want to go home to your family every day if only it’s possible, right? But it’s not, because most of us stay in the dorm.”
Aside from those, Ayel said that the mental and emotional stress from playing also affect them both individually and as a team.
“When you lose a game, there will always be that doubt if you can still do it, mentally, like you doubt yourself emotionally when you feel really down and frustrated,” she said.
“But then at the same time, it’s rewarding when you win because you know you’re making [your loved ones] proud,” she added.
On winning her toughest game
As someone with a cheerful demeanor and an undying passion for her sport, it may come as a surprise to know that Ayel had once dealt with depression. The pressure of constantly juggling her academic and athletic lifestyle, she said, was a significant contributor.
“I went through a really bad depression, but…it was episodic because it was also UAAP season. It was [caused] by all the pressure and everything, so my sports psychologist told me that it might be high-functioning depression,” she said.
Ayel acknowledged that her depression hindered her from performing well, but just like in volleyball, she turned all bad receptions that life threw at her into successful plays. She came into the realization that before she could empower others, she needed to empower herself first.
“I learned that in order to lead my team, in order to contribute more, I have to love myself first,” Estrañero said. “In order to make other people appreciate themselves even more, you have to appreciate yourself first.”
Leading by example
Looking at all of society’s misconceptions about women, particularly in sports, Ayel said she recognizes the need for women to prove themselves otherwise.
“You also want to prove that women can also do well in sports and achieve something. And it’s not just being in a volleyball team--even women in other sports [are] empowering,” she said.
Ayel strongly believes that in order for her to advance her goals, she must utilize the popularity of women’s volleyball.
“I feel like I’m lucky to be in a sport that is really popular, so empowering others is not that difficult anymore because people know the sport and people get to know you as well. So it’s a great outlet to actually inspire more girls and women to not just play volleyball but also be in sports and at the same time, make them realize that sport is not just a sport. It builds you as a person.”
Ayel admitted that at first, she had no idea how to be an advocate of women empowerment, but she eventually realized that her little acts are enough to support women.
“Through the years, I’ve come to realize that just by playing, I get to empower women as well,” she said.
Every time Ayel performs in the court, she makes it a point to always bring her A-game. She believes that she can inspire and influence women this way.
“You don’t have to do something big, or be someone else, or be like what social media portrays [as] the image of [a woman]. You just have to be yourself so you can empower other women,” she added.
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