Volleyball’s reluctant star

This Army corporal packs a wallop with her good looks and solid hitting. SHERWIN VARDELEON

Asked to rate the strength of Philippine volleyball against the world’s best on a scale of 1 to 10—with 10 being a galaxy away, Jovelyn Gonzaga needed a few seconds to ponder.

“Five?”

A member of just about every national team for the past three years and captain of the last Southeast Asian Games squad, Gonzaga clearly is in the best position to diagnose the health of Philippine volleyball which, according to the sport’s officials, is now enjoying a renaissance.

“From what we saw in the FIVB, when we played against the Olympians and world champions, the difference is obvious,” says Gonzaga in Filipino. “But I can say with all honesty that we have the potential to get closer to that [top] level.”

Playing in the FIVB World Club Championship, one of the sport’s biggest tournaments, local side PSL Manila lost all its games but caught the fancy of the crowd with its big fighting heart.

With the Filipinos sharing equal playing time with their foreign guest players—and several times playing sans an import—the local team reached a watershed when it stole a set from eventual champion Turkish club Eczasibasi Vitra.

“I think the exposure we had playing in the FIVB World Club Championship was an eye-opener,” Gonzaga says. “This is the world; this is us. More than the fact that we saw how they play, they also saw how we play.”

The 25-year-old opposite hitter notes that over the past few years, the national team has regained traction in terms of playing experience overseas and hosting top-level competitions here.

“That’s what the PSL (Philippine Superliga) and LVPI (Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc.) do good in terms of development,” Gonzaga says. “They put us out there.”

The winner of Most Valuable Player honors in both the Superliga and rival Shakey’s V-League, Gonzaga’s strength comes from her solid hitting. Being a lefty, the 5-foot-9 stalwart is tailor-fit for her position on court.

But that won’t give her automatic berth in the Philippine team, if you ask the sport’s local governing body. “So far, there’s no shoo-in yet,” says LVPI acting president Pete Cayco. “We are looking at a mixture of young and experienced players for the national team in 2017.”

He says they will start holding tryouts in January for the national teams to the Asian Seniors tournament and the Southeast Asian Games.

“We feel that it’s time to bring in new talents,” Cayco says. “Our goal is to sustain Philippine volleyball’s gains in the last two years and work for a more comprehensive volleyball program.”

Gonzaga feels the same way, too. “If we can form a national team early and have a longer time training together as a team we will do even better,” she says. “I think that’s the one thing we need to do.”

PSL Manila coach Moro Branislav shares her sentiments. “We need commitments from these players. They have to be professionals.”

The Serbian mentor of Superliga champion team Foton wants the players to sign contracts that will require them to attend the practices and games of the national team as it prepares for international tournaments. “They have to be committed to year-round training and follow a program for national and club teams. Make sure their calendars don’t conflict with each other,” Branislav says.

In Gonzaga’s opinion, the national team should have slots for sisters Jaja Santiago and Dindin Manabat as middle blockers, Kim Fajardo as setter, Aiza Maizo as opposite hitter, Honey Royse Tubino and Rachel Daquis as open hitters and Dawn Macandili as libero.

True to her bashful “probinsyana” nature, Gonzaga left herself out of her mythical team. “Up to now I still consider [playing for several Philippine squads] a dream come true,” says Gonzaga, who hails from Guimaras where, as a grade schooler, she caught the attention of school PE teachers because of her powerful, left-handed spike.

“I remember playing volleyball for the first time,” she says. “I picked up the ball and just served it. I got hooked right there and then.”

Her prowess in volleyball intensified as she grew older and she went on to represent Iloilo’s Central Philippine University in tournaments. She eventually played for the national team in beach volleyball before clinching a national team berth in indoors action.

A corporal in the Philippine Army, Gonzaga has led the highly regarded Lady Troopers to three Superliga conference titles. “Playing for the Philippines is a privilege because, hey, how many good players are there in this country and they still chose me to be a part of the team,” she says.

Clearly, on a scale of 1 to 10, Gonzaga is 10 in terms of modesty.