By Adrian Stewart Co
Negrense volleyball player Isaiah John Rico is set to bolster the Far Eastern University (FEU) Baby Tamaraws in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines boys juniors volleyball competition.
The Negros Occidental-native Rico has committed to play out the remainder of his high school volleyball career with the Baby Tamaraws, head coach Rjay del Rosario said.
“Isaiah was one of the players who submitted his tryout video with us which caught the coaching staff’s attention,” Del Rosario told Watchmen Daily Journal yesterday. “He will be a great addition to the FEU team when UAAP resumes.”
The 16-year-old Rico, a former standout of Doña Hortencia Salas Benedicto National High School in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, is an incoming Grade 11 student for the Baby Tamaraws.
Apart from the 6-foot outside hitter, Del Rosario has also secured the commitments of Andrei Delicana, Jhon Stewart Maglay and Jhan Rey Dongon from Dumangas, Iloilo and Gilmarjun Gadores from Kalibo, Aklan.
The arrival of five Western Visayas standouts, according to Del Rosario, was timely following the exit of Negrenses Benny Martinez and Ranz Wesley Cajolo, and Ilonggo Jeek Vincent Dionson, Mark Sabado and Ariel Cacao due to graduation.
Martinez, Dionson, Sabado, and Cacao are now with FEU’s men’s seniors volleyball team, while Cajolo, the UAAP Season 82 juniors MVP, packed his bags for University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons.
The Baby Tamaraws are hoping to do better than their runner up finish in UAAP Season 82 juniors volleyball where they bowed to the Nazareth School National University Bullpups in the finals after finishing the elimination round as the no. 1 team./ASC, WDJ