Bea de Leon

Filipino volleyball player
181 cm (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)[1]Weight60 kg (130lb)College / UniversityAteneo de Manila UniversityVolleyball informationPositionMiddle HitterCurrent clubCreamlineCareer
YearsTeams
2018Foton Tornadoes
2018Ateneo–Motolite
2019–2024Choco Mucho
2024–presentCreamline
National team
2015U23 Manila
2015SEA Games Singapore

Isabel Beatriz "Bea" Paras de Leon (born August 2, 1996) is a Filipino professional volleyball player who currently plays for the Creamline Cool Smashers in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL). She played for the Ateneo Lady Eagles in the UAAP for five straight years and in her final year, led her team to its third championship and was named the UAAP Season 81 Finals MVP.

De Leon was selected to the 2015 Philippine Women's National Volleyball Team that represented the country during U23 and 2015 SEA Games.

Early life and education

She studied at St. Paul College, Pasig for grade school[citation needed] and Saint Pedro Poveda College for high school.[2] She became the team captain for its high school girls' volleyball team. She also received the Athlete of the Year award for Volleyball during her graduation in Poveda.[citation needed]

De Leon was a consistent Dean's lister in the Ateneo and graduated with a degree in AB Management Economics. De Leon was a finalist for the Ambrosio Padilla Athlete of the Year Award, recognizing athletes of the university who excel both in academics and sports.[3]

In 2023, she graduated her Masters degree in Sustainability Management at Ateneo Graduate Programs.[4] An academic scholarship was also established in the Ateneo in her name.[5]

Collegiate career

De Leon's mother Det, father Elmer and brother Loel were graduates of the De La Salle University, which has a long-running rivalry with the Ateneo. Her first choice for college was also La Salle but decided to go to Ateneo because her preferred course was unavailable at the time in DLSU and she lived nearer to the former school. Veteran Ateneo players Alyssa Valdez and Denden Lazaro also influenced her to change her decision to switch schools.[6][7]

In her debut game in UAAP Season 77, De Leon was an immediate starter for the Ateneo Lady Eagles. The 5'11 middle blocker established herself as a threat in the middle for the defending champions with her powerful quick hits and blocks. She was a top contender for the Rookie of the Year Award averaging 9 pts per game, but in the mid-season, she injured her right index finger in training that caused her to be sidelined for two weeks and missed three games in the process. She returned in the last game of eliminations and helped her team go back to the finals scoring 11 points against their archrival, the De La Salle Lady Spikers.[8] They successfully defended their title against the Lady Spikers and sweep the season with a perfect 16–0 record.[9]

On her rookie year in the Ateneo, De Leon was chosen to be a part of the National Team that represented the country in the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore.[10]

In the collegiate conference of Shakey's V-League Season 12, De Leon was awarded with the 2nd Best Middle Blocker Award.[11]

Following Ateneo's losses in UAAP Season 78,[12] UAAP Season 79,[13] and UAAP Season 80,[14] De Leon expressed uncertainty on playing her fifth and final year with the Lady Eagles.[15] In 2018, she signed with the Foton Tornadoes to start her semi-professional volleyball career[16] in the Philippine Super Liga along with Jaja Santiago and Dindin Santiago. After two months of discernment, De Leon decided to play her final season of eligibility in the UAAP[17] and served as joint Team Captain with Maddie Madayag for UAAP Season 81.[18] Under her leadership, Ateneo won their third Championship against the UST Golden Tigresses with De Leon being named as the Finals MVP.[19]

De Leon also represented the Ateneo in the UAAP beach volleyball championships in 2017.[20]

Professional career

On their transition to the professional league, De Leon and Madayag joined the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in the Premier Volleyball League under Oliver Almadro in 2019,[21] where both became team captains.[22] In 2024, De Leon, along with Denden Lazaro transferred to the Creamline Cool Smashers.[23]

Other ventures

As co-horse breeder with her father Elmer, de Leon owns Bell Racing Stable "Bea Bell" (champions of both 2023 PHILRACOM "2-Year-Old Maiden Stakes Race" with P720,000 prize and the October 22, 2023 "2nd Leg Juvenile Stakes Race" with prize of P1,080,000 at Metro Manila Turf Club Race Track).[1][2][3]

Clubs

Individual awards

Collegiate

Clubs

  • Media related to Bea de Leon at Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. ^ "Bea De Leon". Volleyverse – via volleyverse.com.
  2. ^ Olivares, Rick (September 3, 2015). "Bea De Leon: Volleyball and how it changed her world". The Philippine Star. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  3. ^ Bautista, Ralph Anthony; Borres, Sean Jhoyze (May 22, 2023). "Bea De Leon: Building a legacy the Ateneo way". The Guidon. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Mallari, Gab (July 9, 2023). "Master Bea: Choco Mucho captain Bea de Leon completes postgraduate degree". ONE News. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  5. ^ Mallari, Gab (February 10, 2023). "Fan gets into Ateneo through Bea de Leon Scholarship". ONE News. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  6. ^ "Bonfire blues". BusinessMirror. March 22, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  7. ^ Olivares, Rick. "Bea De Leon: Volleyball and how it changed her world". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  8. ^ Lozada, Mei Lin (February 18, 2015). "Fit again Bea de Leon surprised to play and be part of starting six in Ateneo's win over La Salle". Spin. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  9. ^ Camille B., Naredo (December 27, 2014). "Ateneo caps perfect season with 2nd straight UAAP title". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  10. ^ "INFOGRAPHIC: Meet the SEA Games Philippine women's volleyball team". Rappler. May 26, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  11. ^ Poblador, Pablo (September 21, 2015). "2015 V-League/Spikers' Turf Collegiate Conference Awarding Ceremony". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  12. ^ Camille B., Naredo (April 30, 2016). "La Salle overcomes Ateneo to claim UAAP 78 crown". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  13. ^ Rola, Alyssa (May 7, 2017). "La Salle secures back-to-back titles after sweeping Ateneo". Rappler. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  14. ^ Go, Beatrice (April 22, 2018). "FEU Lady Tamaraws clinch UAAP Finals berth over Ateneo". Rappler. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  15. ^ Lozada, Mei Lin (April 21, 2018). "Bea de Leon uncertain on playing final season with Ateneo Lady Eagles". Spin. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  16. ^ Flores, Migs (June 9, 2018). "Bea De Leon to join Foton". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  17. ^ Naredo, Camille B. (July 22, 2018). "Coach hails de Leon's return to Ateneo". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  18. ^ "Maddie Madayag looks at back her journey to being one of Ateneo's leaders". Philippine Daily Inquirer. February 2, 2019.
  19. ^ Morales, Luisa (May 18, 2019). "Finals MVP Bea de Leon makes most of final playing year with Ateneo". Philstar. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  20. ^ "UST's Rondina-Viray tandem, FEU's Pons-Atienza duo stay unscathed in UAAP beach volley". Spin.ph. October 6, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  21. ^ "Ateneo standouts banner expansion team Choco Mucho in PVL Open Conference". Spin.ph. July 14, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  22. ^ "PVL: Madayag embraces challenge as returning Choco Mucho captain". Philippine Daily Inquirer. February 11, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  23. ^ "PVL: Bea De Leon, Denden Lazaro-Revilla headed to Creamline". Philippine Daily Inquirer. January 4, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  24. ^ Naredo, Camille (March 14, 2015). "PVL: In last dance with Coach Tai, failure wasn't an option for Creamline". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  25. ^ "Rondina, Madayag shine as Choco Mucho takes VTV Cup bronze". Premier Volleyball League. August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.