For May Luna-Lumahan, the past few months have been a whirlwind of emotions—balancing wedding preparations with her commitment to Nxled.
But despite missing some training sessions ahead of her big day, the 26-year-old outside hitter delivered when it mattered most, leading the Chameleons to a long-awaited breakthrough victory in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
Luna-Lumahan came off the bench to score 12 crucial points last Saturday, powering Nxled to a four-set win over Galeries Tower, 25-20, 19-25, 25-14, 25-23, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig. The triumph snapped a grueling 15-game losing streak, finally giving the Chameleons a taste of victory after seven months of frustration.
More than the win, Luna-Lumahan was grateful for the unwavering support of her teammates, coaches, and management during her wedding preparations in January. Though she missed several practices, she felt nothing but encouragement from the team.
“Mas maganda mag-training at maglaro kapag full support ‘yung coach mo, teammates mo, and the management kasi hindi ka maghe-hesitate kahit na, honestly, marami akong absent for the past few weeks and months,” said the former La Salle standout.
She knew she had to step up to repay that trust, especially with Nxled desperate to turn things around in the conference.
“Pero ‘yung support (nila) nandoon, hindi ka male-left out. ‘Yun ‘yung mas naging motivation ko na kailangan kong mag-perform nang maayos kapag nabigyan ako ng chance kasi malaki ‘yung tiwala nila sa akin.”
Returning to the court as a newlywed, Luna-Lumahan admitted that her marriage to longtime partner David has given her a renewed sense of motivation and focus.
“Extra motivated. Nakafocus na ko sa training and sa games wala na kong ibang iniisip kung hindi yung volleyball na lang talaga.”
That focus paid off, as Nxled finally saw their hard work in training translate into an actual victory. The Chameleons now share a 1-8 record with Capital1 and Galeries Tower, tied for 10th to 12th in the standings.
For Luna-Lumahan, their first win of the season is just the beginning. She hopes it serves as a catalyst for better performances moving forward.
“Siguro ‘yun lang ‘yung sinasabi ni coach (Ettore Guidetti) na breathe. Regardless na hindi naman niya hinihingi sa amin ‘yung panalo, pero hinihingi niya sa amin ‘yung maayos na galaw kasi ‘yung panalo darating din ‘yun.”
After months of relentless training without results, she finally felt the weight of frustration lift.
“Worth it yung paghihintay and of course worth it yung pagod namin every day kasi mahirap talaga magtraining na puro ka talo. Parang kailan ba kami mananalo? Or mananalo ba kami today sa game? Worth it yung paghihintay and pagod namin—lahat.”
