A YEAR after aiming to go overseas, former FEU Tamaraw star Andrei Delicana has crossed to the other side of Manila to start fresh with UST.
The 21-year-old open spiker decided to transfer to his former rival school last July, the team that eliminated the top-seeded Tamaraws in the UAAP Season 86 men’s volleyball semifinals.
“I transferred because my sibling is here… this was actually my dream school before,” Delicana told The Flame on Sunday, Aug. 10.
“The beach [volleyball] coach here, they had already been recruiting me way back when I was still in Grade 9,” he added.
Delicana was named Best Outside Spiker in Season 85, leading the FEU-Diliman Baby Tamaraws to their maiden UAAP boys’ volleyball title. He then had a promising rookie year with the senior squad, finishing 12th in scoring with 180 points.
Despite expectations to be a pivotal piece for the Tamaraws’ future, Delicana stepped away from the UAAP limelight to chase opportunities abroad. However, it did not go as planned for him.
“I was supposed to go abroad, but the process was taking too long… We weren’t doing anything at home, so I decided to just go back to school,” the Iloilo native said.
During his year off, Delicana revealed that he took Technical Education and Skills Development Authority courses to not stay idle.
While being pursued by the UST volleyball coaching staff, Golden Spiker GBoy de Vega also helped Delicana complete his move and make adjustments to the España-based institution.
“I’m grateful to them… I feel accepted here at UST, like I was not set aside,” he said.
In his second collegiate stint, Delicana hopes to finish his studies as he adjusts to the new environment, which he described as “comfortable.”
“For me, it is okay here since after training I can rest… I feel much more comfortable here.”
The six-foot hitter will serve a one-year residency and will return to UAAP in Season 89 with two years of playing eligibility.
He will join UST rookies such as Rain dela Paz, Joncruz Ayco and Kris Hernandez. F – with reports from Kurt Andre Trinidad
