FILE — Jovelyn Gonzaga. INQUIRER PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — After representing the country on the international stage countless of times, Jovelyn Gonzaga has decided to beg off from the national team tryouts this year.
Gonzaga revealed her decision in an Instagram post Wednesday evening as she expressed her gratitude to the team and the program.
“Maraming salamat sa tiwala, pag-aalaga at pagmamahal (Thank you for the trust, care and love). Thank you. Good luck Philippine indoor volleyball!” she wrote on Instagram.
“For now it’s time for me to take a new route. Bigay na natin ‘to sa mas karapat-dapat,” she also said on her Instagram story.
While she also received an invitation to try out for the national women’s beach volleyball team, Gonzaga told INQUIRER.net it is not a sure thing yet.
“Depende pa, nasa schooling pa kasi ako e,” Gonzaga, a member of the Philippine Army, said.
Fellow national team players shared their appreciation for Gonzaga, who once served as team captain back in 2015.
“It was an honor to share the court with you, idol,” volleyball phenom Alyssa Valdez said in an Instagram post.
A national team mainstay since 2015, the 5-foot-8 lefty stood at the top of the local volleyball scene before suffering a career-changing injury in 2017.
She marked her return two years later, and in the best way possible — with three club team championships and her national team comeback just in time for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Even before her decision to forgo her slot this year, Gonzaga has repeatedly said she sees a bright future for the national team, with counterparts like Mylene Paat, Eya Laure, and Maddie Madayag delivering for the Philippines.
“Kapag nagsasabay sila Maddie, Eya, at Paat sa loob, nasasabi ko na future talaga. Sobrang happy ko for them; nagiging morale booster sila sa akin,” Gonzaga said in a previous interview with Fox Sports PH.