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Volleyball: Former Ateneo stars eager to learn from coach de Jesus

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/sports/04/14/volleyball-2018-2018-041418.jpg"/><figcaption>Former Ateneo stars Alyssa Valdez (left) and Jia Morado (right) talk with former La Salle setter Kim Fajardo during the national team tryouts. Richard Esguerra, ABS-CBN Sports</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines—For the past six UAAP seasons, De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University have engaged in a tug of war for supremacy in women&#x27;s volleyball.The Lady Spikers and the Lady Eagles have met in the finals for six consecutive years, with La Salle winning four titles and Ateneo two. Their fierce rivalry has invigorated volleyball and elevated the sport&#x27;s popularity, while turning players from both teams into bona fide superstars.That rivalry was shunted to the side last Friday, however, when two of the best players to ever suit up for Ateneo tried out for the women&#x27;s national team, a program that is now being handled by La Salle coach Ramil de Jesus.Alyssa Valdez and Jia Morado, who were both instrumental in Ateneo&#x27;s run to six straight UAAP finals, were just two of 18 players who trooped to the Arellano University Gym on Friday, where de Jesus was formally introduced as the head coach of the national team. Both players had served as thorns on La Salle&#x27;s side many times in the past six years, but on Friday they could not hide their delight at the prospect of one day playing for de Jesus on the national team.&quot;It&#x27;s very exciting for me,&quot; said Morado, who was part of Ateneo&#x27;s title teams in Seasons 76 and 77, before foregoing her final year of eligibility in Season 80. &quot;I&#x27;m excited to learn under a new coach.&quot;&quot;I&#x27;ve seen naman the success that he&#x27;s had in the past seasons, kahit hindi pa ako naglalaro ng college,&quot; she added. &quot;So I&#x27;m pretty sure na marami akong matututunan sa kaniya, if I&#x27;m given the chance to play under him.&quot;Perhaps no player gave de Jesus as much trouble as Valdez, who led Ateneo to the finals in every season that she was with the team. Valdez was the catalyst of the Lady Eagles&#x27; incredible Cinderella-run to the title in Season 76, when they defeated a La Salle squad that had a thrice-to-beat advantage in the finals – one of the great UAAP upsets of the past decade.Valdez, however, has only the highest respect for de Jesus, noting that he has given honor not just to La Salle but to the country as well. De Jesus was the coach of the last Philippine team that made it to the Southeast Asian Games podium in 2005.&quot;Sino pa bang ibang coach ang pipiliin mo din talaga para mag-represent ng country?&quot; Valdez said.Like Morado, Valdez is already looking forward to what she can learn from de Jesus.&quot;I&#x27;m just privileged and honored to be coached by him,&quot; said the three-time UAAP Most Valuable Player. &quot;I&#x27;m really looking forward to hearing his instructions, mga training niya.&quot;&quot;Ako, I&#x27;m just really blessed,&quot; added Valdez. &quot;I was under coach Tai (Bundit), coach Roger (Gorayeb), sir Vince (Francis Vicente) also, coach Kungfu (Reyes), and I had so many learnings from the also.&quot;With de Jesus on the national team, Valdez said she is almost like a &quot;new player&quot; again, as she prepares to learn from the top women&#x27;s volleyball coach in the country.&quot;I&#x27;m really excited,&quot; she said. &quot;I&#x27;m gonna get along with his players, and different players from different club teams.&quot;(For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.)

On the national team, there's no such thing as college rivalries. Just ask Alyssa Valdez and Jia Morado.

On the national team, there's no such thing as college rivalries. Just ask Alyssa Valdez and Jia Morado.

Volleyball: Former Ateneo stars eager to learn from coach de Jesus

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Volleyball: Former Ateneo stars eager to learn from coach de Jesus

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 14, 2018 11:37 PM PHT

Read More:

women's volleyball

Ateneo Lady Eagles

Alyssa Valdez

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