Akari Chargers’ Ced Domingo she rejoins the PVL in the All-Filipino Conference. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
By: Lance Agcaoili - @inquirerdotnet
MANILA, Philippines —Maturity and composure were among the things that Ced Domingo developed most in her first overseas stint where she helped Nakhon Ratchasima accomplish a successful title defense in the Volleyball Thailand League.
“One thing that I really learned coming home from Thailand is my maturity and my composure as an individual because of different kinds of instances in games,” said Domingo in Filipino after her Akari debut ended up with a 25-21, 25-18, 25-12, 25-18 loss to Cignal in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference on Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“I learned a lot from my teammates like Onuma Sittirak and other legends in Thailand. It’s super nice playing alongside them. I really just can’t wait to apply all the learnings from Thailand here at Akari.”
Domingo, who decided to sign with the Thai team last year, was instrumental in her first overseas stint as the Cat Devil finished the elimination round with a 10-2 record as the No. 2 seed behind Diamond Food, which her team beat in the semifinals round and final.
The 24-year-old middle blocker said she’s lucky to be part of Nakhon Ratchasima as she became the latest Filipino to win a title overseas after Jaja Santiago, who won the Japan V.Cup championship with her former club Ageo Medics in 2021, and Bryan Bagunas who he led Win Streak to a dominant title run last year in the Top Volleyball League in Taiwan.
“I got lucky. It’s a ‘who could have thought’ moment for me because I had no expectations coming there. I just wanted to experience playing in Thailand and come out of my comfort zone to unlock my potential as a player,” Domingo said.
“My teammates are strong and they have the same level of competitiveness and mentality as my former team, Creamline. I felt that I was in the right team.”
Domingo, who found her new home at Akari, admitted that it’s overwhelming to the changes and transitions but she’s taking the challenge in stride.
“My mindset going back here is adapting Akari’s system and then from there, I will apply my learnings from Thailand,” she said.
