As the Season 99 Best Setter and MVP waves goodbye to the Lady Blazers, Cloanne Mondoñedo wouldn’t have made excellent sets if it wasn’t for some unlikely turns.

Finding the right groove

As a child, Mondoñedo used to engage in different sports. “Noong una talaga, nasa athletics ako, and then pumunta ako sa table tennis kasi table tennis player ‘yung father ko, [...] lahat triny ko talaga, even football.” 

Her curiosity in the sports world however all changed when, during a school intramurals, she saw the sport of volleyball. “Nag-try lang ako, and ‘di ako marunong, tapos sabi ng teacher ko ‘Oh, may potential ka.’” With the help of her teacher and her mother who was a former volleyball player, the Oriental Mindoro native started playing in different leagues.

It wasn’t easy being in the provincial meets though, as Mondoñedo had to have a reality check from the bench. “Siyempre, pumunta ako sa mga lugar na ‘yun tapos ‘di naman ako ipapalaro, doon nag-start na gusto kong lalo i-push sarili ko na mag-improve lalo sa volleyball.” By getting more equipment and caring about nothing but volleyball everyday, she eventually got better. Little did she know that it would lead her to her next chapter. “Nag-develop ako nang develop, hanggang nakarating ako ng Palarong Pambansa, at doon ako nakita ni Coach Jerry.”

The Set that changed everything

Mondoñedo was playing as a spiker for the team just like how she has been since getting into volleyball. But one set she did in front of head Coach Jerry Yee, the projection of her career altered forever, she just didn’t know it yet.

“Tinanong niya ako “Setter ka ba?” Sabi ko ‘Hindi po eh,’ sabi niya, ‘Maganda kamay mo, lefty ka pa.’” Coach Yee then forwarded his contact number and 10th grader Mondoñedo moved to Manila the following week.

Sometimes a spiker, sometimes a setter, Mondoñedo had to reserve her playing time for the other players in Hope Christian High School under Coach Yee. Mondoñedo actually had her target on other colleges, with the intentions of following Coach Yee wherever he goes. When he entered Benilde, Mondoñedo became a Lady Blazer by Season 95 of the NCAA.

Growing pains

Adjusting to being a setter isn’t easy as it sounds. “Noong una ang hirap, parang gusto ko na mag-give up, sabi ko parang ‘di talaga sa akin ang pagiging setter eh.” 

Mondoñedo would get straightened up by coaches, and struggled with the extreme coordination it takes to be a setter, all combined with her emotions as a pressured rookie. However, the pandemic changed her perception and when everything went back to normal she welcomed all the training again. “Tapos noong bumalik ako [from pandemic], talagang [trained] ako ni Coach Jerry. Ang tagal ko nag-train sa setting para lang mapunta dito.”

“First season ko, ang alam ko lang i-set noon ay open pati quatro lang eh, now parang wala nalang sa akin ‘yung ginagawa ko.” Mondoñedo emphasized the importance of decision-making skills as a setter, even saying that it also helped her in her own life. From something that she always overthinks, to being natural about it, the transition from one role to another was a huge step for her career, to the point where next thing you know she’s holding trophies on her hand.

Mondoñedo actually has had her eyes on the best setter award in the two seasons prior. However, despite being at the top of the statistics in setting in Season 97 and 98, she didn’t win and even slightly affected her performance during a finals game. 

“Sabi ko, anong hindi ko ginawa para hindi ibigay sa akin yung award?” Mondoñedo expressed how her intentions of winning Best Setter was for coach Yee and how he has developed excellent setters in his coaching career. In Season 98, Mondoñedo added more scoring to her game, but to no luck, the honors were still given to someone else. 

“Sa 99, ‘di ko na siya inexpect talaga, [sinukuan] ko na siya. Sige natanggap ko na, if hindi talaga para sa akin, eh ‘di okay lang, wag na lang.’” But in her final season, she did one thing that moved the whole equation. 

“Sabi ni Coach kasi isang criteria ng best setter is serving.” Mondoñedo said that she didn’t care anymore about the setting so she focused on her serving. “Tina-try ko every game may ace akong makukuha. Isa or dalawa kada game.”

“Naiyak talaga ako, sabi ko seryoso ba? No joke kasi ‘di na ako nage-expect.” Mondoñedo narrated the moment she won Best Setter, following a twist afterwards. “Tapos noong in-announce pa ni Sir Dax [Castellano] na nakuha mo rin ‘yung MVP, sabi ko ‘huh?’ Ang rare makakita ka ng setter na MVP eh.” The disbelief was so heavy that she even asked to give back the MVP award. One of the NCAA officials told her that it was a huge honor for her to win the MVP since setters do rarely win it. “Ganoon pala talaga. Kung kailan hindi mo sya hinihintay, doon [ito] ibibigay sa’yo, times two pa.”

Cloanne Mondoñedo the Benildean

“Feel ko limitado lang ako dati eh, but when I got to [DLS-CSB], biglang na-feel ko kaya ko lahat.” With great communication all around the coaches and athletes, and being a student in an institution that denounces discrimination, Mondoñedo salutes Benilde for showing her what it is like to have endless possibilities as she looks to carry on the values she learned when she leaves.

Mondoñedo’s message to future Lady Blazers filling up her role is simple. “Gawin lang nila part nila at mag-enjoy every game.” She pointed out the importance of loving what you should do in order to have a reason to play volleyball.

Jokingly, she hopes that the pressure her and the other core Lady Blazers has put on them won’t bother them. Mondoñedo isn’t too worried though, as she plans to keep in touch with the players even after she leaves.

A 12 year-old Mondoñedo just happened to stumble upon the sport of volleyball because of the school’s intramurals. Then, when she got into provincial meets, she had to understand where she was at as a player after getting no minutes of playing time, so she trained to improve. In Benilde, she found her drive on becoming a setter after the pandemic and only won the Best Setter honors when she gave up dreaming for it. 

Most of the reasons why she is one of college volleyball’s best players is because of events she least expected to happen. Those are things she couldn’t control. What she controlled, however, was herself. She put her head down, trained hard, and developed, with the trust of the College’s program and Coach Yee’s vision. 

One Best Setter Award, one MVP, and three championships later, Mondoñedo has come so far, but will continue to go further.