Louie Ramirez has basically won it all in the NCAA men's volleyball competition, copping both the beach volleyball and indoor volleyball titles for the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA this year.
In the process, he was also hailed the Season 98 and Finals MVP after towing the ALTAs to their third straight men's title in indoors.
But the 6-foot-3 senior is hoping to achieve one more thing, this time outside of the league.
According to Ramirez, he is aiming to one day don the national colors and banner the country in various international tournaments.
“Oo naman po [gusto kong maglaro para sa national team]. Bale sa totoo lang po ilang beses na ako nag-try out sa national team,” Ramirez said.
“Ngayong taon kinukuha din ako pero hindi po kaya ng schedule kasi nga nauna ‘yung NCAA so inuna ko muna ‘yung NCAA. Sabi ko after na lang ng college career ko para wala na pong ibang iniisip.”
("Yes. In truth, I've tried out for the national team multiple times... This year, they were asking me but it was hard to fit it in the schedule because the NCAA came first so I focused on the NCAA first. I said, I can do it after my college career so I don't have to be thinking about anything else.")
That goal of Ramirez was further ignited on Sunday, when he played alongside and against former and current national team members during the NCAA Season 98 All-Star festivities at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
“Masaya po kasi kahit papano, nag-enjoy kami tsaka masarap sa feeling na puro artists ‘yung kasama namin tsaka ‘yung mga alumni na dati dream lang naming maging kakampi tapos ngayon teammates na rin kami sa All-Star,” he added.
("I'm happy because we enjoyed ourselves and it's a great feeling to play with the artists and with the alumni, whom we've dreamed of being teammates with, and now we're actual teammates in the All-Star.")
Ramirez, who still has one playing year left in the NCAA, teamed up with former Philippine squad team captain John Vic De Guzman while going up against Jayvee Sumagaysay, who is part of the team competing in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games this May.
He is hoping to someday get another call from the national team. After all, he has been under the wings of Perpetual head coach Sammy Acaylar, who served as Philippine team head coach in the past and had produced former national team members Jack Kalingking and Rey Taneo.
“Lagi niyang (Acaylar) sinasabi sa amin na ‘yung paglalaro ay andiyan lang ‘yan, ang gusto niyang mangyari sa amin ay tapusin namin ‘yung career namin sa college tsaka ‘yung pagaaral namin.”
("He always tells us that playing will always be there. What he wants for us is to finish out career in college and our education.")
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
