Bea Bonafe had waited patiently in the wings for her chance.
On Tuesday night at the Philsports Arena, she finally got it — and seized it with both hands.
With Kamille Cal sidelined due to patellar tendonitis and her return still uncertain for the rest of the 2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) On Tour, Akari handed the keys to its offense to the 23-year-old Bonafe. In her first-ever start in a high-pressure matchup against Petro Gazz, the second-string setter stepped into the spotlight — and delivered.
Bonafe orchestrated Akari’s offense with composure and maturity, tallying 14 excellent sets to lead the Chargers to a 32-30, 25-22, 25-19 straight-sets stunner over the Angels in the quarterfinals.
“It feels like I won a championship,” Bonafe said after the game, her voice shaking from a mix of joy and relief.
“Ganun 'yung feeling. Sobrang saya po, and I couldn’t have done it without coach and my ates, because they all believed in me.”
The moment wasn’t lost on anyone — especially not on Akari head coach Tina Salak, who’s known Bonafe since her high school days at De La Salle-Zobel. The two won the UAAP Season 81 girls’ volleyball title together, and now, years later, their paths crossed again in the professional ranks.
Salak saw the talent early on — the raw potential that needed refining, the promise that only needed time and confidence to flourish.
“Ako, sabi ko kasi sa kanya, parang nasa shadow siya — nasa shadow siya ng ibang tao,” Salak said. “So when she came to Akari, inunlock ko ’yon. Sinabi ko, ‘You have to be yourself. Huwag mo lang i-imitate ‘yung taong gusto mo. Hindi mo makikita ‘yung best mo kung ang iniisip mo, ibang tao ‘yung ginagampanan mo.’”
“‘Ibahin mo lahat — ideas, forms, techniques — para makita mo kung sino talaga si Bea.’ ‘Yun ‘yung una-unang sinabi ko sa kanya.”
Bonafe has come a long way since her days as a middle blocker in high school. After graduating, Salak urged her to switch roles — a daunting transition from a net defender to a team’s chief playmaker. But Bonafe accepted the challenge, spending the past five years learning the nuances of setting.
“It was very big. A very — it’s a leap,” Bonafe reflected. “Kasi in high school, I was a middle blocker. And then from then on, after I graduated, coach Tina said to try being a setter. So ever since — it's been five years — coach Tina has always told me to be a setter.”
Salak, herself one of the most decorated setters in Philippine volleyball history, knew exactly what it would take. And more importantly, she knew Bonafe had the character to do it.
“Masyado siyang determined. Sobrang seryoso niya. Maaga siya lagi sa training. Makikita mo ‘yung mga little efforts na gusto talaga niyang gawin ‘to para sa team,” Salak said. “Gusto niyang gawin para sa sarili. Ewan ko kung may gusto siyang patunayan pero may mayayabang kasi ‘to eh,” she added with a laugh.
The lighthearted jabs from coach to player are a testament to their close relationship — forged in trust, nurtured in discipline, and now bearing fruit on the pro stage.
With Cal having started all five pool games for Akari before being sidelined, Bonafe’s breakthrough couldn’t have come at a better time. And while Cal remains in rehab, the Chargers will rely on Bonafe to hold the fort — and possibly lead them on a deep postseason run.
“‘Yung potential kasi nandun eh. It’s on how you use it and when to use it,” said Salak. “Sa kanya kasi parang nade-deprive siya of showing her talent. But for me, there’s no time to itago mo pa eh. Ito na eh.”
“So either let it be or let it go away. And good thing lang, inembrace niya ‘yung challenge na ‘yon. And for me as a coach — coach ko rin siya since high school — nakita ko na up to the challenge siya.”
