National team head coach Ramil De Jesus emphasized that tryouts for the 2018 Philippines Women’s National Volleyball were open, but he did have a list of players he wished to show up.
Of the 34 players he listed, libero Denden Lazaro was nowhere to be found, to the surprise of many. Her position, after all, has become stacked with talent, with La Salle’s Dawn Macandili and UE’s Kath Arado showing that they can anchor defenses.
Instead of shying away from the call of the flag, Lazaro stayed motivated.
“The management from my team, first of all, wanted me to show up here,” emphasized the former Ateneo Lady Eagle. “Also, my former teammates from the national team wanted me to come. For me naman, it’s also courtesy na lang to go to the tryouts.
“Knowing naman coach Ramil, it will be a good system. I’ve always wanted to be coached by him.”
Lazaro has been playing spelndidly in 2018, pacing the Cocolife Asset Managers’ defense to the Chooks to Go-Philippine Superliga Grand Prix semis.
The 26-year old has also put behind her the forgettable experience she had with the 2017 National Team, wherein she sat out the SEA Games due to an injury.
“No naman. It’s a new year. As I said, it’s a new set of people who are gonna handle the team. I’m excited,” she emphasized.
Now, Lazaro takes the deep pool of liberos as motivation — a pool that includes Arado and Macandili, who have both said Lazaro has influenced their career.
“Ako namo-motivate sa kanila — sa lahat ng libero ngayon. Seeing them play 100 percent all the time, knowing that the position isn’t very glamorous is very inspiring,” the 5-foot-5 defensive specialist shared.
“Every time we step on the court.”
