TOTS Carlos isn’t closing her doors on another shot at playing overseas after she went undrafted in the 2024 Korean V-League (KOVO) Women’s Asian Quota Draft on Wednesday.
Carlos was part of the trifecta of Premier Volleyball League (PVL) stars with Petro Gazz’ MJ Phillips and former MVP and Chery Tiggo’s Mylene Paat who tested their luck in Korea’s top-flight league.
As the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference semifinals coincided with the three-day pre-draft tryouts in Jeju Island, South Korea, Carlos and Paat missed their PVL teams’ respective semis-opening defeats against Choco Mucho and Petro Gazz on Tuesday respectively.
READ: Creamline stays in title hunt with courageous win over Petro Gazz
Phillips, however, was exempted from pre-draft activities by virtue of being a second-time aspirant. The Angels’ middle blocker was drafted fifth overall by cellar-dwelling Gwangju AI Peppers last year and had a one-season stint prior to her PVL return.
Upon learning their fates on Wednesday that they weren’t selected by any KOVO club, the pair of former PVL MVPs returned to duty straight away on the second day of semifinals action.
Results aside, Carlos relished what she considers to be a ‘core memory’ in the chance of a lifetime to acquaint herself, albeit briefly, with the international volleyball landscape.
“It was a fun experience lalo na’t nakita ko kung paano ‘yung program nila sa volleyball sa ibang bansa. Nakita ko rin ‘yung mga iba-ibang players na kasama ko and may mga natutunan din naman ako.
"Parang core memory ko lang talaga is really how organized the Koreans are in their volleyball league and how they really take care of their foreign players,” Carlos told reporters in an ambush interview.
The three-time PVL MVP had the highest vertical leap alongside Paat at 61 cm, even as the shortest non-libero aspirant in the 30-player draft pool at 167.7 cm (5-foot-5). Entering the draft process with ‘no expectations,’ Carlos was proud of the effort and performance she put out against some of Asia’s towering stars.
“I just played my volleyball and wala rin naman akong ibang ineexpect. Tall players, they’re very tall. Ako, honestly, satisfied ako sa naging performance ko so masaya ako na na-experience ko ‘yung ganung opportunity. Talagang nagpapasalamat ako sa mga boss namin at saka kina Coach (Sherwin Meneses), sa teammates ko na talagang pinayagan ako,” said Carlos.
No days off for Tots
Carlos arrived from Korea at 1:30 a.m., roughly 15 hours before Creamline’s must-win semis match versus Petro Gazz at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. And her best efforts did result in a win for Creamline with 21 points in a rousing four-set victory against their longtime league rivals.
Such a strong outing was one Carlos vowed to deliver as she personally sought to repay the trust of her team and management for letting her grab an opportunity as big as trying out in Korea’s top-flight volleyball league.
“Kahit hindi naman sabihin nila coach, they expect me to really perform and pagbalik dito na talagang maglaro kasi nga what I did was a personal matter, personal decision ko siya. I’m grateful na pinayagan ako but siyempre, trabaho pa rin pagbalik sa Pilipinas. Ako, honestly, thank you rin kina coach kasi pinalaro ako kahit kakabalik ko lang,” the three-time PVL MVP said.
Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses reiterated his support for Carlos’ decision to partake in the Korean V-League tryouts and made sure to keep in touch with his ace spiker to spare her from worries after losing their first semis match to Choco Mucho in her absence.
“Nagmemessage naman kami (ni Tots) nung nasa Korea siya. Sabi nga lang namin, ‘wag mo na intinidihin ‘yung laro ngayon. Ang mahalaga, makabalik ka rito at makatulong ka sa team. ‘Yun naman yung number one dun, at saka healthy kang babalik dito.Thankful kami kasi nakabalik siya on time. ‘Di na siya nagbakasyon,” Meneses said.
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