After spending the summer training in the Philippines, women’s soccer junior forward Shelby Salvacion and senior midfielder Raylene Larot received news that they were promoted to the Senior Philippine National team.

The two received their letters in the mail on Sept. 20. The letter was in lieu for the upcoming Southeast Asia games in December.

The SEA games will be where both the men and women Maltidas national teams could qualify for the 2014 Summer Olympics.

Being her final year at Sac State, Larot has not played many minutes this season at the midfield position. The midfielder said the chance to play against world class talent again is something that she can not help but look forward to. 

“We have the chance to make the Olympics, but it won’t be easy because we will have some heavy competition,” Larot said. “But thinking about making the Olympics is awesome to think about.”

Even though the possibility of a fresh start with the Philippine National team, Larot wants to focus on the rest of this season to help her team make it to the Big Sky Conference tournament.

“I am really excited to be going back to play for the Phillippines,” Larot said. “But I want to make sure I am there for my team here at Sac State until the season is over.”

Salvacion said she knew she was going to be called up for the SEA games but she didn’t know when though.

“I am pretty excited that I was called up for the SEA games,” Salvacion said. “In fact I didn’t even know until Raylene asked me if I got my letter in the mail, so I had to check.”

The two were actually called up in the beginning of their collegiate season, but they had to turn down the opportunity to play. However, the Philippine National head coach Ernie Nierras told Salvacion and Larot that they can arrive in December for the SEA games.

Salvacion, who still has another year of eligibility left, does not want to ruin her senior season by missing the last month of school to train with Maltidas.

“I am really looking at taking one day at a time right now,” Salvacion said. “Just trying to focus on school, before I go to the Philippines.”  

Salvacion and Larot will head to training camp in December as they prepare for their first SEA games attempting to qualify for the Olympics.