Nearly a decade after fate cruelly intervened in what could have been a star-making run, May Roque is stepping back into the spotlight with a renewed spirit and a heart full of unfinished business.
Now 27, the former Adamson University standout is eyeing a return to competitive volleyball through the Premier Volleyball League Rookie Draft, determined to rewrite a story that was interrupted far too early.
Roque was once one of the brightest prospects in the collegiate volleyball scene. But during UAAP Season 78, a devastating ACL tear derailed her ascent, stalling her breakout and severely affecting her performance in her remaining years with the Lady Falcons. What followed wasn’t just a physical struggle — it was an emotional and mental battle to rediscover herself.
“Siguro I want to try again, kasi parang hindi ko tinapos 'yung sa UAAP. So gusto kong i-fulfill 'yung sa volleyball career ko if ever ma-draft,” said Roque during the opening day of the PVL Rookie Combine at Paco Arena.
The injury forced her into a long, painful detour — one filled with doubt, fear, and eventually, distance from the game she once lived and breathed.
“Nag-break ako kasi mentally, hindi pa ako ready ulit sa volleyball. Sobrang na-down ako after nung ACL ko, tapos hindi na [ako] nakabalik. Parang sunud-sunod na struggles 'yung after nun so siguro binuild up ko muna 'yung courage ko para makabalik sa volleyball,” she added.
Roque initially planned a return to the sport in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought yet another unexpected roadblock. Just as she was preparing to lace up her shoes again, the world stood still — and so did her comeback.
“Nagta-try [ako bumalik]. Babalik sana ako before the pandemic, kaso ayun, nag-pandemic, so na-pause ulit. Siguro now 'yung time na makabalik talaga sa volleyball.”
But something within her — the same flame that once powered her through the ranks of the UAAP — never fully died. And now, as the PVL readies for its second-ever Rookie Draft, that fire is burning brighter than ever.
Key to that reignition was a familiar figure from her past: Creamline Cool Smashers star and former Adamson teammate Jema Galanza. Roque credits Galanza as one of the loudest voices urging her to believe in herself again, to not give up on a dream that still lived within her.
“Lalo si Jema [Galanza], lagi niya talaga akong pinu-push bumalik. [Sabi niya] ‘bumalik ka kasi kaya mo naman 'yun.’ Isa rin siya sa mga nag-push sakin bumalik sa volleyball.”
Their shared history — the blood, sweat, and tears of UAAP battles — helped Roque recall the version of herself that once thrived under the bright lights.
That memory, reinforced by Galanza’s unwavering support, became her anchor.
Now with the draft drawing near, Roque has nothing left to lose and everything to fight for. She arrives not as a wide-eyed rookie, but as a woman who has already seen what it’s like to have the game taken away — and who is now ready to fight with everything she has to reclaim it.
“Siguro 'yung hungriness na makapaglaro ulit. Sure ako na gagawin ko 'yung 100 percent ko para makabalik and maka-help sa team na kukuha or magda-draft sa akin.”
Her journey isn’t about proving herself to others anymore.
It’s about proving something to the girl who limped off the court in Season 78, who spent nights wondering if she’d ever play again.
It’s about giving herself the closure she never got — and maybe even something more.
