Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Ateneo setter Jia Morado on Wednesday said any athlete would always want to be part of the national team.
“Of course anyone would want to represent the country and help the country,” said Morado at Filoil Flying V Centre after she helped Ateneo over University of Santo Tomas 24-10, 26-24, 28-26, in the UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball tournament.
And Morado, who wore the Philippine tricolor in the AVC U23 tournament and Southeast Asian Games, just might get her wish to represent the country in international tournaments once more.
READ: Valdez, Santiago lead PH volleyball nat’l team pool
The Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas on Thursday issued a formal apology for failing to extend invitations to Ateneo for the tryouts and invited Morado and teammates Maddie Madayag and Kat Tolentino to participate in a special audition.
LVPI acting president Peter Cayco said they would arrange a special tryout for the three Lady Eagles, and also three-time UAAP MVP Marck Espejo, so that they may be included into the pool.
READ: LVPI ‘sorry’ for not inviting Ateneo players, sets special tryouts
The LVPI bore the brunt of a public backlash after Morado, who has been tearing it up in the UAAP this season, was excluded from the list.
Morado, though, expressed her support for the national team pool even before the LVPI’s announcement that the Ateneo players would be given a special tryout.
“They know what’s best for the team they want to form and I respect their decision,” said Morado. “I’m sure everyone in the pool is deserving, and anyone you put in the team will have the same goal as I and that is to play for the country and represent the country.”