From benchwarmer to MVP: Jema Galanza shines as pro

While some athletes reach their full potential during their collegiate career, Jema Galanza peaked just when she graduated.

Galanza is an integral part of the three-time Premier Volleyball League (PVL) champion squad Creamline Cool Smashers. 

Her recent performance was instrumental to the team’s undefeated season in the 2019 PVL Open Conference, where she also copped the MVP and Best Outside Spiker award honors. 

But before becoming a mainstay in Creamline, Galanza suited up for the team supposedly only to fill the roster. 

Becoming Creamline’s new star

Creamline, bannered by Ateneo stars and national team mainstays Alyssa Valdez and Jia Morado, is definitely a powerhouse in the league. 

Already loaded with wingers, Galanza still managed to secure a spot in the team after she led the Adamson Lady Falcons to 5th place in the UAAP Season 80 after cellar-dwelling finishes in the past seasons. 

“Noong time na yun, yung Creamline sobrang konti lang ng players. Sabi ni coach Sherwin, laro ka sa Creamline, gano’n lang, kinuha lang niya ako. Pinapalaro lang ako para sa season na ‘yon kasi nga kulang,” the outside hitter said on the Volleyball DNA vodcast. 

(During that time, Creamline only had a few players. Coach Sherwin told me to play for Creamline, and then he got me in. They let me play for that season only because they only had a few players.) 

But Galanza didn’t want to settle for a benchwarmer position. She worked hard until she bagged the 2nd Best Outside Spiker award in the 2018 PVL Open Conference. 

“After college, noong pro na, sabi ko lang talaga gusto ko lang talaga mag improve pa. Gusto kong [maging] mas better pa sa dati at gawin ko talaga yung part ko kasi ‘di naman talaga ako yung player na sobrang galing,” 

(After college, when I turned pro, I said to myself that I really just wanted to improve. I wanted to be better than before and do my part because I know I wasn’t really a great player.) 

And that award fueled her to work twice as hard that led to her decorated career now.

“Noong nag-2nd Best Outside Hitter ako parang iyon na nga siguro yung time na parang nandoon na ako sa peak ko, so sabi ko ituloy ko na ito. Alam mo ‘yung nandoon na eh, ibababa mo pa ba sarili mo?” she said. 

(When I became the 2nd Best Outside Hitter, that was already the time when I was at my peak so I thought that I should continue this. I was already at the top, should I still bring myself down?)

The Falcon roots

Before becoming the reigning MVP she is today, Galanza had to put as much work in her collegiate career. 

Galanza debuted as Adamson’s reserve player in the Season 76 beach volleyball tournament. She played behind star players Bang Pineda and Amanda Villanueva, who eventually copped the title.

In the indoor volleyball tournament of the same season, Adamson placed 4th – the highest the Lady Falcons achieved in recent years.   

It was when Pineda graduated that gave Galanza a spot in the starting lineup next season. The Laguna native became the Lady Falcon’s go-to girl, concluding Season 77 as the league’s 6th best scorer.

Despite being the do-it-all spiker she had been, Adamson failed to crack into the Final Four in the following seasons.  

In her last playing year with the San Marcelino-based squad in Season 80, the Lady Falcons were touted as a Final Four contender with returning and improving players, including having Galanza as team captain. 

However, despite their promising and improving roster, the Galanza-led squad got eliminated and settled for 5th in Season 80. 

“Sabi niyo nga malakas na, okay na talaga siya. I-sosolid na lang and ‘yun yung problema, hindi naging solid. May sakit yung Adamson na kaya naman, hindi lang lumalaban, ‘di lang tinatapos,” the former team captain shared.

(They say we are a strong team and we were. We just had to be solid and that was the problem, we weren’t able to be one. We knew we could win, but we just didn’t fight, we couldn’t finish.)

But seeing how much of a fighter she is now, Galanza clearly learned her lesson. – Jillian Velasco/Rappler.com