Army laments Salak’s retirement

MANILA, Philippines – What is Army without Tina Salak?

For coach Rico de Guzman and the Lady Troopers, who recently swept the Cagayan Valley Rising Suns to win the Shakey's V-League Season 11 Open Conference title, it will not be easy.

"It will be hard to replace a Tina Salak," said De Guzman in Filipino.

Salak, 38, has been the face of the Army team that has been a symbol of success in the local volleyball circuit, winning a couple of championships in the Shakey's V-League twice in the last three years and has been a dynasty in the AFP Olympics for a decade.

But all good things must come to an end as Salak announced she has been contemplating retirement for months.

"I told coach (de Guzman) this is my last," said Salak, who has been in the service for 17 years now.

De Guzman said the only way to fill the huge void Salak will leave is for his players to play the setter spot by committee or find someone who’s close to playing like Salak. The Army skipper started as an outside spiker who decided to transform into a setter when she was 22 years old.

And de Guzman was quick to point to reigning Finals MVP Jovelyn Gonzaga as the closest thing to a Salak.

"She (Salak) is as tall, as quick, as intelligent as Tina (Salak), if trained properly, there's a chance she can play the same," said De Guzman.

"I've been trying to train her to play the way I play and think the way I think and I see myself on her (Gonzaga)," said Salak.

Gonzaga, a 22-year-old education major at Central Phl U in Iloilo, has been an understudy of Salak since June and slowly, she has started to embrace the teachings of her new mentor.

"I learned a lot from her (Salak) but there are still a lot of things to learn," said Gonzaga, who has won two Finals MVP awards, including one with the Far Eastern U Lady Tams a couple of years ago when she teamed up with Conference MVP Rachel Ann Daquis to win a Shakey's V-League crown.