Roma Mae Doromal is taking every opportunity to rise to the top of her game.
Roma Mae Doromal made a memorable entry into the Premier Volleyball League. As she was selected as the 14th overall pick in the inaugural PVL Rookie Draft, chosen by the Capital1 Solar Spikers in the second round, her presence onstage left a lasting impression on the league’s fans.
Maybe the fact that she was the former team captain of Ateneo, a university with one of the most reputable volleyball programs; or because Capital1 was a new team to the PVL and they needed as much talent as they could get; or maybe even the video of her jumping onstage, wearing the yellow PVL Draft sash draped around her neck — a heartwarming image of a girl whose dreams just came true.
For whatever reason, Roma Mae came into the PVL scene as the perfect ingenue.
“Super anxious ako that time [the PVL Draft],” she reflected in an exclusive interview with The GAME. She recalls thinking to herself, “Sino kaya kukuha sa akin? Walang assurance na sino yung team, sana maganda yung team na mapupuntahan ko.”
Roma Mae was grateful to Capital1 for welcoming her to their growing team. It was a testament to her skill that the Solar Spikers, who had at the time only been a part of one conference and were in need of good players, had chosen her as their second pick in the Draft.
But playing for a very young team naturally comes with its challenges. Capital1 is only in their third conference in the PVL so far and the team sits at the bottom of the league table with just one win and nine losses as of writing.
Not where a player in her rookie year, just seven months in, would want to be. But Roma Mae Doromal is known for her bubbly personality and contagious smile, and she responds with a disposition true to form: with a “hopeful heart” and “optimism,” as she puts it.
After all, regardless of where she is right now, this still is a dream come true.
A family affair
When Roma Mae Doromal came into the consciousness of Filipino volleyball fans, her name already rang a bell to many, especially those who follow UAAP volleyball closely. This is because the sport was a family affair in the Doromal household.
Roma Joy Doromal is three years older than Roma Mae and is the reason the latter entered the sport in the first place.
As the younger Doromal sister recalls, “Siya yung number one reason why nag-volleyball ako, kasi nag-volleyball din siya. She started playing volleyball and then, na-encourage ako to play also kasi she’s having fun, and yung Papa ko, super palagi silang magkasama. So, I gave it a try na mag-volleyball din.”
Roma Mae never looked back. And not only did it become a huge passion of hers, but it also became a way for her and her older sister to bond.
“Best friend ko talaga siya,” she says warmly. “Kasi lahat ng rants ko, lahat ng pinaka-masasamang words na gusto kong sabihin, sa kanya ko lang yun nasasabi. And I would say, parang safe space ko talaga siya.”
Having a partner-in-crime definitely helps when you’re taking on the big leagues, which both the Doromal sisters are now doing together. Roma Joy, who played for NU in her UAAP career and currently plays for the Galeries Tower Highrisers in the PVL, has always acted as a guidepost for her younger sister, who went on to follow a similar path, playing in the UAAP with the Ateneo Lady Eagles.
It’s no wonder they both got very emotional when Roma Mae was drafted into the PVL.
Many may have noticed Roma Joy shedding a few tears after her younger sister was chosen to join the Capital1 Solar Spikers during the PVL Draft. Roma Mae recalls this moment well.
“It’s more of she’s crying tears of joy. Super proud siya na finally we’re gonna play together sa Pro League,” the former Atenean reveals.
“And, siguro super happy din siya na Capital1 yung nakakuha sa akin kasi aside from okay yung management, I think nagustuhan niya yung mga kasama ko din, sina Ate Jorelle [Singh], nan dun yung wishlist ng teammates niya before, and also Coach Roger [Gorayeb] na naging coach niya din before. So, na-feel niya siguro na I’m in good hands.”
Roma Mae did, in fact, land in good hands. Results aside, she gets to be mentored by Coach Roger Gorayeb, a legend in the Philippine volleyball scene, and gets to compete alongside a group of young players. Not to mention that being a part of a fresh-faced team means that she has the unique opportunity to shine, even in her rookie PVL year.
It’s all about taking the opportunities that come your way — a life lesson that Roma Mae picked up as early as her college days.
Life in Loyola
Born in 2000, Roma Mae Doromal had the privilege of witnessing some of the country’s volleyball legends growing up.
Thinking back to her volleyball idols, she calls to mind, “Number one was si Ate Den [Dennise Larazo-Revilla], kaya naging dream school ko din yung Ateneo because of her and Ate Ly [Alyssa Valdez]. Nung time na yun, sila kasi yung televised na, diba? That era, sila talaga yung pinaka nagustuhan ko.”
Indeed, that era was a defining point for Philippine volleyball. The likes of Alyssa Valdez and Dennise Lazaro, legends and champions in the UAAP, lifted volleyball to newfound heights. And looking up to such legends set the bar high for Roma Mae, especially when she joined the Lady Eagles herself.
When Roma Mae first donned the Ateneo jersey in a UAAP game, she instantly made waves. The 19-year-old made a memorable debut, showcasing her impressive floor defense techniques in a sweep against the UP Fighting Maroons.
Her high school career at NU, where she competed in beach and indoor volleyball, laid the foundation for the skill she was able to put on display early on. However, as romantic as it looked on the outside — competing for her dream school, making a splashing debut, and gaining high praise from her coach — her first few years in Ateneo were far from perfect.
“Culture shock talaga,” she admits, looking back at her first few months as an Ateneo student.
“Different talaga yung environment, my previous school [NU] to Ateneo…But at the same time, buti na lang athlete ako, kasi I have this shared experience sa mga kasama ko. Andun si Faith Nisperos, who was kasama ko sa NU, so siya talaga yung naka-help din sakin to adjust.”
Among the other friendly faces who made this challenging transition a little bit easier was also UAAP Season 81 Champion Pauline Gaston, whom Roma Mae calls Ate Ponggay.
In Roma Mae’s first year in Ateneo, she was thrown into the fire straightaway, assigned to compete in the beach volleyball tournament in UAAP Season 82. Her teammate was none other than reigning champion, Pauline Gaston.
As intimidated as she might have felt at first, Ate Ponggay actually became one of the individuals who made her transition as an Ateneo student easier. “Yun yung first meet namin [playing as teammates for beach volleyball] so siya talaga din yung nag-help sakin to tour Ateneo, na i-welcome ako sa Ateneo.”
Yet, as welcome as she started to feel, no amount of adjustment would have been enough to prepare Roma Mae Doromal for the pandemic.
As a freshman, and fresh off of making her UAAP indoor volleyball debut, the pandemic cut Season 82 painfully short. Although she was still able to compete on the sand, her indoor playing would have to wait three more years, until Season 85 finally brought women’s volleyball to the tournament.
But Seasons 85 and 86 were pretty forgettable for the Ateneo Lady Eagles, as they failed to make it to the Final Four both times. However, Roma Mae still stands with pride, confident in the fact that she still made the most out of her short but sweet UAAP career. One of the things she takes the most pride in is captaining the Eagles in her final season and witnessing the growth of her teammates throughout the struggles they faced together.
“Buong stay ko dun, I would say sweet talaga siya and mahirap. Hindi siya bed of roses, pero alam ko at the end of the day, parang sobrang worth it lahat ng paghihirap ko,” she says.
Although missing out on two Final Four appearances was disappointing, the Lady Eagles still closed UAAP Season 86 on a high note, as they impressively swept Adamson University in their final game to finish fifth in the standings. Roma Mae in particular shined in this victory, her swan song for Ateneo, contributing nine digs and six impactful receptions.
“In my last playing year, sobrang nasulit ko talaga yung Ateneo,” the former captain reflected. “Like feel ko talaga, wow ang sarap maging Atenista, ganun yung feeling.”
But of course, as a naturally competitive individual and a lifelong athlete, Roma Mae Doromal is still in search of her ultimate goal: to win a championship.
Something to prove
The UAAP and the PVL are two very different playing fields. There is a learning curve that comes with transitioning from college play to professional play. But beyond the technicalities, Roma Mae Doromal admits that she felt more pressure playing for Ateneo.
Asked if there was any shock-factor to her transition to the PVL, Roma Mae explained, “Actually hindi ganon, kasi feeling ko mas grabe yung pressure if nasa college. Yun yung sakin. Yung UAAP, iba yung pride of fighting for the school…UAAP kasi, it’s school pride eh and makikita mo talaga yung rivals like Ateneo-La Salle. Iba yung pressure, iba yung crowd, so iba yung feeling inside the court.”
Comparatively, Roma Mae acknowledges that the element of “team pride” still exists in the PVL, of course, as each player represents their respective team. But what changes as a professional?
For the 24-year-old, the pressure now becomes more internal as she faces a much higher level of competition.
Seven months since her PVL debut, she reflects, “Sa professional siguro, yung challenge dun is veteran na yung kasama mo, so mas magugulang na sila. I think dun papasok yung nakita ko na I need to adjust, I need to improve a lot of things, kasi ito na yung veterans.”
Now, Roma Mae Doromal plays against the best players in the country. Among those she recognizes as the top names in the league, she reveals her idols: Sisi Rondina, Dell Palomata, Gel Cayuna, Ces Molina, Dawn Macandili-Catindig, and Alyssa Eroa.
The bar has definitely been raised. To win, Roma Mae knows she has to up her game, too.
Self-reflection comes often for the youngster, who has experienced more losses than wins in the ongoing PVL All-Filipino Conference.
“Fresh yung emotions [coming from a loss], but at the same time, I need to keep going,” she says. “In-expect ko na siya actually na it’s gonna be hard, kasi this is an underdog team and starting pa lang siya. There’s a long way to go talaga…
“Pero parang optimistic pa din, na okay kailangan ko lang talaga i-go through ‘tong rookie year ko na mahirap, and use this opportunity and experience para mag-grow pa ako as a pro-athlete.
“It’s just the beginning…Ganun talaga sa una, mahirap talaga sa una pero I know soon magkaka-breakthroughs din.”
Roma Mae’s optimism shines brightly. But with her radiant energy comes a fire that keeps her driven to reach, or even surpass the level of the players she looked up to as a teenager, and the players she competes against now — something that tells us that it may only be a matter of time before she goes from fresh-faced ingenue to court master.
Banner image taken by Lorenzo Corro.