1 week Ago By JR Isaga
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rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-1" );MANILA, Philippines – If any Philippine volleyball player can speak on the importance of valuing the country over anything else, it’s FEU Lady Tamaraws head coach Tina Salak.A longtime reservist sergeant as part of the Philippine Army Lady Troopers volleyball team and former SEA Games bronze medalist setter, the 48-year-old legend gave her honest take on her rookie middle blocker Clarisse Loresco getting a surprise Alas Pilipinas tryout invite.
“My best advice for her is to grab the opportunity. Not everyone gets an opportunity to be invited for Alas, and many players can only hope,” Salak said in Filipino after FEU ousted Ateneo from the UAAP Season 87 Final Four race on Wednesday, April 9.“The best place for an athlete and a coach is the national team.
It weighs heavy on me to not serve the country, or decline the country’s invitation, given that I was from the military. For me, you have to grab all opportunities. The commitment conflicts that come with answering the call will have time to be solved.
”Loresco, who shone with 7 points on 3 blocks in just two sets played — was the lone FEU product, both current and former — to be included in the 33-woman wishlist by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) and Alas Women coach Jorge Souza de Brito.Although Loresco’s inclusion to the final cut is a real long shot, the towering rookie is taking the opportunity in stride as she aims to help the national team in whatever way she can.“Knowing I’m in the wishlist, I have to keep my focus in the UAAP so I can be prepared when the tryout comes,” she said in Filipino.
“I need to always have that desire to win, that eagerness.”Salak further stressed the benefits of answering the country’s call as it can prove beneficial with no drawbacks even for those names on the chopping block by the final cuts, which would very likely eventually include the young Loresco.“You have to think of your personal growth.
Once you fulfill that, you have a bigger dream and in turn bigger contributions to the team,” Salak continued. “You can express your experience to your [school] teammates.”“You just have to keep grabbing whatever is available.
Not everyone gets the favorable call, and if you miss the opportunity, that may be the end of it and you’re not getting it back.”De Brito and the PNVF have yet to announce their first round of cuts or a tryout schedule, but they can surely count on Loresco to be there, guaranteed team spot or otherwise. – Rappler.
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