DESPITE carrying a lot of pressure and expectations, national women’s volleyball team star Alyssa Valdez promised to give the 18th Asian Games Jakarta and Palembang their best shot starting on August 18.
Valdez admitted the first Philippine team to compete in Asiad volleyball in 36 years is under pressure to deliver against top Asian teams Thailand on August 19, Japan (Aug. 21), Hong Kong (Aug. 23) and host Indonesia (Aug. 25) in Group A.
“Pressure will always be there. Siyempre added pressure kasi more than 30 years nawala, added pressure also na ‘yung teams na ka-bracket namin are very strong teams,” said Valdez on Wednesday during the national team practice at Arellano University Taft campus.
Also adding to the pressure is the controversial withdrawal of the men’s basketball team from the Asiad, which puts the spotlight on the stint of the Philippine volleyball squad playing the second-most popular sport in the country.
“Siguro it’s an advantage and disadvantage for the team also,” said the three-time UAAP MVP out of Ateneo. “Yung pressure nasa amin din pero at the same time we’ll make it na sana ‘yung pressure na ‘yun ma-turn namin into positive talaga.”
With the chip on their shoulders, Valdez admitted that the level of the Asian competition is way higher than Philippine volleyball, but she vowed that they will not go down without a fight for the country’s pride.
“We keep on saying that it’s really a learning process for the women’s national team but at the end of the day, it’s a long way talaga,” said the national team mainstay.
“We will try our very best to perform really well for the national team. After 30 years also it’s the first time that the women’s volleyball team will be back on the Asian Games, so hopefully maganda ‘yung magbabalik namin,” she added.
The Creamline star, who recently delivered the first franchise title in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Reinforced Conference, is also hoping that the fans will respect and accept whatever the result of their Asian Games stint.
“We’re really hoping na kahit ganoon ‘yung mangyari, maganda man o panget, patuloy pa rin ‘yung suporta ng mga kababayan natin para mas malayo ‘yung marating ng women’s national team,” she said.
Valdez and the rest of the Filipina Spikers will fly to Japan on Sunday until August 16 to gear up for their much-anticipated stint in Asian Games.
“We’re really looking forward to learn a lot from Japanese teams from defense to offense, at mga mas mabibilis na techniques,” Valdez said. “Sana makuha namin ‘yun and definitely sana maapply namin ‘yun sa mga upcoming games namin lalong lalo na sa Asian Games.”
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