SEVERAL alumni and a Thomasian athlete will represent the country as part of the national volleyball team that will compete in the 2015 South East Asian (SEA) Games in Singapore on June 5 to 16.
The Philippine Volleyball Federation recently announced its final 18-man and 18-woman lineups where eight Thomasian athletes were included in both squads, namely Mark Gil Alfafara, Henry Pecaña, Jayson Ramos, John Paul Torres, Rhea Dimaculangan, Maika Ortiz, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, and Mary Jean Balse.
For the past few years, UST has produced a number of players donning the national colors in previous SEA Games. Among them were Angeli Tabaquero and Venus Bernal, who were part of the 2013 women’s national pool.
Dimaculangan, the UAAP Season 72 and 2009 Shakey’s V-League Most Valuable Player, said that being part of the UST program served as a stepladder in her volleyball success.
“UST ‘yung naging foundation ko and stepping stone para makapasok sa Air Force (team in the Shakey’s V-League) at ng national team,” she said.
Other alumni joining her in the women’s national pool are Ortiz and Balse, two of the UAAP’s all-time best attackers, and Maizo, three-time Shakey’s V-League finals MVP.
In the men’s division, former UAAP MVP Alfafara emerged as the only current UST player in the national lineup and one of the youngest in the squad.
“Nakaka-pressure kasi mataas talaga expectation nila sa amin, inaasahan nila na mag-excel pa kami,” the 20 year-old open spiker said.
Alfafara said his stint with the Tiger Spikers helped him secure a slot in the national team.
“’Pag sinabi mo kasing UST, pagdating sa volleyball, automatic agad, kasi alam naman natin na for the past years and decades nandun ‘yung UST [sa top] at angat talaga tayo sa volleyball,” he told the Varsitarian.
Together with Alfafara, former UAAP Finals MVPs Pecaña and Ramos as well as former MVP Torres will represent UST in the Philippine squad.
Meanwhile, UST junior standouts Eya Laure and Alyssa Teope were also chosen in the Philippines under-17 women’s volleyball team.
Golden Tigresses head coach Odjie Mamon and De La Salle University Lady Spikers head coach Ramil de Jesus will head the men’s and women’s team, respectively. Josiah Darren G. Saynes
