Like a gymnast, Lara Mae Silva moves across the taraflex with such finesse and grace that she has become the heart of Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the NCAA women's volleyball.
It turns out that attitude was innate in Silva all along.
From a young age, Silva, now a star libero for the Lady Knights, displayed the potential of a gymnast and had already started training in elementary school. But when her school’s volleyball coach suggested she try the sport, she gave it a shot.
And before she knew it, she had fallen in love with volleyball.
"Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ako nag-volleyball kasi elementary ako, una ko talagang sports is gymnastics," Silva shared to GMA News Online in an interview last Saturday.
"Nu’ng nakita ako nu’ng coach ng volleyball, sabi niya sa akin, ‘wag ka diyan, baka mabalian ka diyan’. Nu’ng wala ‘yung coach namin sa gymnastics, tina-try ko maglaro ng volleyball and ‘yun nga po, in-embrace ko na."
(I don't know why I went into volleyball. When I was young, my sport was really gymnastics... When the volleyball coach saw me, they said 'don't do that, you might break a bone'. When my gymnastics coach was not there, I tried to play volleyball and there, I just embraced it.)
Quite amusingly, though, Silva started out as a spiker before former Letran coach Mike Inoferio converted her to a libero position starting in her rookie year back in Season 97.
Since then, Silva has emerged as one of the league’s top liberos, earning the Best Libero award in back-to-back years in Seasons 99 and 100.
"Never akong nag-libero. Sa college lang ako na-convert sa libero, tinyagaan ko lang ‘yung libero kasi alam kong hindi papalag ‘yung height ko sa spiker e," the 23-year-old Silva added.
"Hindi nga ako marunong mag-first ball, pero dig marunong ako. Hindi talaga ako marunong. Kay Coach Mike lang talaga ako na-develop."
(I was never a libero. Only in college, I was converted into a libero. I worked hard at becoming a libero because I knew I would struggle as a spiker because of my height... I didn't know how to receive a first ball, but I knew how to dig. I really didn't know how. I only developed under Coach Mike.)
In her final year, Silva hopes to give Letran its long-awaited championship after helping the Lady Knights secure their third straight finals appearance. They will face reigning champion De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in the best-of-three finale starting on April 5.
"Sinabi ko talaga sa sarili ko na magcha-champion na ako and Letran this year. Nag-promise ako na ibibigay ko lahat ng best ko kasi ito na 'yun e," Silva said.
"Last ko na so sana makuha na talaga."
(I tell myself that I will become a champion and Letran will become a champion this year. I made the promise that I would give my best because this is the chance... This is my last chance so I hope I'm able to get it.)
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
