CASIEY Dongallo has parted ways with University of the East.
As per team insiders, Dongallo is no longer residing in Recto and will not suit up for the Lady Warriors in the oncoming UAAP Season 87 women's volleyball tournament in February.
That also means that she may very well not be seeing action anytime soon, as any transfer will entail one year of residency. As such, the earliest volleyball fans can see her back on the taraflex will be next year.
The same sources went on to say that at least two UAAP schools are nonetheless interested in taking in the 19-year-old spiker who holds the league's single season scoring record.
Dongallo had for herself a historic rookie season for UE in Season 86, breaking the record once held by Ateneo’s Faith Nisperos and her 267 points in Season 84. She totaled 291 points and finished second in the Rookie of the Year race behind University of Santo Tomas’ Angge Poyos who tallied 290 points.
From a team standpoint, however, the thunderous spiker and the Lady Warriors were riddled by problems on and off the court.
Although sixth place was their best finish in 12 years, three wins in 14 matches after multiple five-setters and close contests fell short of expectations.
Adding insult to injury midway through Season 86 was then-head coach Jerry Yee’s three-month suspension for engaging in ‘acts inconsistent with the league’s objectives.’
Assistant coach Obet Vital finished off the red-and-white's campaign as interim shot-caller before parting ways with the school last December. He ultimately landed on his feet with the University of the Philippines.
Now, Dongallo follows her longtime mentor out of UE's doors.
It remains uncertain whether her fellow California Academy aces and now-former Lady Warrior teammates in scorer Jelai Gajero, setter Kizzie Madriaga, and spiker-setter Shamel Fernandez will stay or go.
