La Salle coach Ramil de Jesus within the UAAP Season 86 volleyball. –LANCE AGCAOILI
MANILA, Philippines — La Salle coach Ramil De Jesus admitted that it’s tough to construct a dynasty with the present trend of the UAAP players forgoing their remaining playing years to show skilled within the PVL.
La Salle lost several key players after Finals MVP and Best Setter Mars Alba and Jolina Dela Cruz graduated, followed by the departure of Fifi Sharma and Justine Jazareno, who bid farewell to the Lady Spikers and join the Akari Chargers in the professionals.
“It’s really hard now because we don’t understand how long the players will stay. At some point you’re training them then tomorrow, you’ve no idea whether or not they’re staying or not,” De Jesus, who steered La Salle to its twelfth title last season, ending a five-year title drought, said in Filipino.
“The transition has been very hard, because you’ve no idea how long a player stays with you. And it’s no surprise that industrial teams eye players from the defending champions because they need someone who might help their teams.”
De Jesus, who’s coaching in his twenty seventh 12 months for La Salle, though, stays patient together with his team’s progress with setter and captain Julia Coronel, middle blocker Amie Provido, and libero Lyka De Leon embracing greater roles.
Amie Provido and the La Salle Lady Spikers within the UAAP volleyball. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
“Em said the transition has been hard and that’s true. It’s hard to interchange the position of middle [blocker],” De Jesus said. “[Some players] were here since senior high, we’ve trained them for some time and polished [their game], but they leave by the point we’d like them. It’s hard for us coaches.”
Good thing for De Jesus and his coaching staff, Provido and the remaining of the Lady Spikers are willing to step up.
“It’s a very good thing there are recent players to coach to fill the positions,” the veteran coach said. “Without delay, now we have players who’re able to play and fill the gaps in our line up.”
Provido, who scored eight points in her first major role for the Lady Spikers, is willing to assist embrace the challenge, helping Thea Gagate in manning the frontline.
“Every game, my mindset is to deliver knowing we lost loads of players and it’s challenging to interchange my spot. I’m joyful I’m in a position to deliver and I’m in a position to gain my confidence little by little,” she said.
Even within the era of the collegiate players jumping to the professionals, De Jesus is trying his best to adapt to the changes because the PVL will finally hold a rookie draft in June to avoid direct hires.
