KIM Fajardo is super-eager.
For one, the De La Salle star setter is upbeat to be part of the 18-woman national volleyball team because it could be her first time to campaign in the 29th Southeast Asian Games Kuala Lumpur in August. She also looks forward to a grand reunion with her former teammates.
No wonder one of the brightest setter of the country today is excited. She said she’s also inspired to perform national duties not only because of a promising roster but also her reunion with RP Youth coach Francis Vicente, Alyssa Valdez and Jaja Santiago, her fellow De La Salle Lady Spikers Mika Reyes, Aby Maraño and Dawn Macandili. She also looks forward to be with her teammates in the Philippine Superliga (PSL)-F2 Logistics Manila like Rachel Anne Daquis, Jovelyn Gonzaga and Frances Molina. They campaigned in the 2016 FIVB Women’s Club World Championship Manila.
“I’m excited to team up with Alyssa and Jaja again. They were my teammates in UST high school and in RP Youth, as well as my fellow La Sallians like Aby, Mika and Dawn and even the other players I played against in PSL,” said Fajardo, who had a grand exit in the collegiate ranks by steering De La Salle for a golden repeat in winning the Season 79 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball crown.
Aside from a grand reunion with her former coach and teammates, Fajardo also teams up for the first time with Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Dennise Lazaro, Rhea Dimaculangan, Maika Ortiz, Ria Meneses, Lourdes Clemente, Roselle Baliton, Gen Casugod and Kath Arado.
The three-time UAAP Best setter trusts the decision of Vicente and his coaching staff in forming this team and she believes that this team has a chance to end the 12-year SEA Games volleyball medal drought of the country.
“I believe in this team. I also want to see on how our country fares against the best Southeast Asian countries,” she said. “And I want the Philippines to be remembered in SEA Games volleyball again.”
Fajardo said she has this “beautiful problem” on how she will balance the offensive wealth of her talented spikers.
“My problem is to whom will I set the ball?” she said. “That’s really a very beautiful problem for me because all of my teammates are stars and aggressive spikers.”
Fajardo is currently in Kazakhstan with some of the Superliga stars, who are also national team members, representing the PSL-Rebisco Manila for the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Asian Women’s Club Championship until next week.