Far Eastern University volleyball program director Dzi Gervacio remains confident that both the Lady Tamaraws and their junior counterparts are prepared to handle player departures to rival programs — even as conversations around “poaching” continue to circulate in the local volleyball community.
This comes after Gervacio confirmed to Tiebreaker Times the sudden transfer of former FEU-Diliman girls’ volleyball team captain Raine Alonzo to defending champion National University Nazareth School.
Despite FEU-Diliman finishing just outside the podium in fourth place in the UAAP Season 87 Girls’ Volleyball Tournament, Alonzo was a major bright spot, ranking as the fourth-best scorer with 166 total points off 134 attacks, 20 aces, and 12 blocks.
For Gervacio, who assumed her role in 2021, the movement of athletes between UAAP schools — especially from grassroots programs — is not a new challenge.
Rather than dwelling on Alonzo’s exit, Gervacio emphasized the need to focus on strengthening FEU’s grassroots-to-seniors transition and staying competitive in recruitment.
“I think naman kasi it’s not a novel thing anymore. We anticipate movements in every level naman with regard to the girls or even the boys finding a new home. I think it’s just up to us to do the best of our abilities to, as much as possible, keep these girls in the grassroots and eventually in the seniors program. Because, of course, that has always been the plan and the goal of why you start a grassroots program to begin with,” Gervacio shared in an exclusive phone interview.
“Kaysa magtampo or magalit, it’s something outside our control. And yeah, it’s just a matter of making sure we do the best we can […] to build a robust program and as much as possible, have these talents stay in our program,” she added.
Though Alonzo’s departure is disheartening, Gervacio remains proud that FEU-Diliman has become a breeding ground for talent — players who not only contribute to the Lady Baby Tamaraws, but are also highly sought-after by other top schools.
“It’s nothing new, although siyempre it’s a sad thing when someone leaves your home. But that’s part of life. The pie is getting bigger for them to have new opportunities, and I guess it’s also just a testament to how the program has evolved, developed, and grown in the recent years for it to be recognized. And for Raine also, it’s a good thing for her that her talents are recognized by other programs as well. So as much as it’s a sad thing, we’re happy that she found a new home and we just wish the best for her,” Gervacio said.
“You also have to give credit also to these coaches who plan for the long term, not for the short term lang naman dapat diba? When we talk about timing, hindi lang kasi transfers ang pinaguusapan natin ‘eh, pwede rin injuries or pwede rin so many other reasons for them to stop continuing their career with our school. It’s just that you just got to accept it if the time comes. This just means we have to recruit again, someone to fill her spot.”
Academics Take Priority
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
As a former UAAP student-athlete with Ateneo and a seasoned professional player, Gervacio understands the fierce competition FEU-Diliman faces — especially from powerhouse programs like NUNS, UST, and Adamson University. However, her primary concern regarding recent player transfers, particularly involving Grade 11 athletes, revolves around their education.
Alonzo left FEU-Diliman shortly after completing her first semester as a Grade 11 student.
As a result, she will need to restart her Grade 11 studies at NUNS and serve a one-year residency before becoming eligible to play for the Lady Bullpups in Season 89 — the same season she would have debuted in the UAAP seniors division had she stayed.
“For me, number one, these are student-athletes. If there’s any concern, it’s their studies and how these movements affect them educational-wise… So parang, hindi ba, it’s a secondary concern, I guess, if they can still hone their skills in their newfound home. Pero kasi, that has been the ultimate promise naman to begin with — to develop them further career-wise speaking of volleyball, but education from the rival programs should also be prioritized as well,” Gervacio emphasized.
Strengthening the Pipeline
(C) PVL Images
Alonzo’s case is just one of many developments Gervacio and FEU are dealing with in the offseason. Still, the commitment to creating a seamless pipeline from high school to college remains stronger than ever — especially after FEU’s strong showing in all four UAAP volleyball divisions in Season 87.
The Lady Tamaraws and Lady Baby Tamaraws both placed fourth, the Baby Tamaraws ended fifth, and the men’s team advanced to the Finals, guaranteeing at least a silver finish.
“I really think it starts with building a good foundation, which means having a good relationship with these kids. I have my full trust and I guess I can speak on behalf of the whole FEU management and the community, Coach Tina [Salak], sir Mark [Molina], sir Anton [Montinola], that we trust coach Joanne [Bunag] in developing and not just developing their volleyball skills, but to hone these student-athletes in a holistic way,” Gervacio noted.
“Everything is within our control as much as we can build these relationships na parang you build loyalty, you build trust, you build connection with not just the student-athletes, but also the parents. Ultimately, there are other players, there are other stakeholders, [and] there are other things that also come into the equation,” she added.
While FEU hopes to retain the talents it develops, Gervacio stressed that they won’t hold players back from seeking better opportunities — citing examples like AC Miner, Lyann de Guzman, and Zey Pacia, who all moved on to play for Ateneo.
“If and when one day they decide to explore other opportunities and ‘yon nga, nasabi na rin ni coach Kungfu [Reyes] na parehas naman kami na we don’t really try to keep them all in one place when they decide one day to explore other opportunities, because nga of the talent that they were able to showcase in the tournaments. We also have to understand and let them go where they want to belong,” she said.
Looking ahead to Season 88, Gervacio’s focus is on reinforcing the Lady Tamaraws roster — whether through grassroots development or external recruitment — especially with the possible departure of seniors like middle blocker Jean Asis, setter Tin Ubaldo, and outside hitter Chenie Tagaod, who have completed four years of eligibility.
“Everybody’s always welcome naman. Again, this is the reason and the main purpose of developing and having a grassroots program is for them to be able to have that opportunity to go up to the collegiate or to the senior women’s program. It’s always there, I think kumbaga it’s right to first refuse in law terms. I guess the first option will always be there na we always open our doors for them,” Gervacio affirmed.
“We’re always in talks with the girls and I guess we’ve already shown them naman interest.”
