NCAA MVP Shola Alvarez. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Shola Alvarez has effectively put Jose Rizal University in the volleyball map, and she wants her successors to continue what she and her teammates started in the 93rd season of the NCAA.
And with the MVP trophy serving as the manifestation of Alvarez’ legacy with JRU, the charming captain wants future Lady Bombers to become a constant fixture in the Final Four.
READ: Amid MVP talks, JRU star Alvarez told: Focus on team not stats
“JRU became known to the public not just because of what I did, this is the product of the hard work of what me and my teammates, and coaches did,” said Alvarez in Filipino Friday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
This was Lady Bombers’ first ever semifinals stint in the NCAA.
Alvarez, who averaged 21.3 points to lead JRU to the fourth seed with a 9-6 record, will now leave JRU to Rookie of the Year Dolly Verzosa.
READ: JRU star Alvarez captures NCAA MVP
And Alvarez’ first lesson to Verzosa was to have the confidence to help take the Lady Bombers to the next level.
“I heard her saying, because I will already leave the team, that she’s pressured to lead the team,” said Alvarez. “So I told her that they won’t be able to enter the Final Four if even before Season 94 starts she’s already feeling the pressure.”