By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Ex-DLSU Lady Spikers libero superstar Justine Jazareno will be taking a temporary leave of absence in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) after VP Global Management confirmed that she will be entering motherhood last February 1, 2024.
“We’re excited to share that our volleyball star, Ms. Justine Jazareno, is eagerly anticipating the joys of motherhood. She has made the decision to take a leave of absence from the game to focus on her forthcoming bundle of joy,” wrote VP Global Management in a statement.
After a stellar rookie campaign last PVL All-Filipino Conference with the Akari Chargers, Jazareno and her floor coverage prowess will be missed by interim head coach Raffy Mosuela and assistant tactician Tina Salak once the 2024 season kicks off.
Taking over Jazareno’s spot as Akari’s main defensive anchor is veteran libero and former national team member Bang Pineda.
The Chargers management will be expecting Pineda to lead Akari’s floor coverage defense with the absence of their highly-touted prospect.
As of this writing, Jazareno is yet to confirm if she will be available for Akari’s campaign in the next conferences of the year.
“As we eagerly await Justine’s triumphant return to the Akari Chargers, let us send her and her longtime partner Jhonas our warmest wishes as they embark on this new and exciting chapter of their lives,” VP Global Management added.
Despite losing the services of Jazareno in the first conference, the Chargers still has a deep pool of players after adding more firepower during the off-season.
Akari ‘s first major move was when they hired Japanese coach Taka Minowa as their Director of Volleyball Operations.
After fortifying their coaching staff, Akari then tapped the services of former Creamline Cool Smashers superstar middle blocker Ced Domingo and explosive outside hitter Gretchel Soltones.
Still with the franchise are Faith Nisperos, Fifi Sharma, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Michelle Cobb, and Erika Raagas,
