ALYSSA Valdez and the Creamline core headline the Philippine women's volleyball national team pool for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia.
Still recovering from a knee injury, Valdez is expected to banner the 17-woman pool composed mainly of Premier Volleyball League players, a source confirmed to Spin.ph.
See Bagunas, Espejo lead invitees to national volleyball pool for SEAG
Alongside Valdez are her Cool Smashers teammates and PVL MVPs Tots Carlos, Jia De Guzman, Ced Domingo, Jema Galanza and Asean Grand Prix's Best Libero Kyla Atienza.
Also called up were PVL Reinforced Conference MVP Mylene Paat of Chery Tiggo, Kat Tolentino and Chery Nunag of Choco Mucho, Kath Arado and Jules Samonte of PLDT, and PVL Best Setter Gel Cayuna of Cignal.
Eyed to fill the spot of 6-foot-5 V. League best blocker Jaja Santiago, who will no longer suit up for the Philippines as she processes her Japanese citizenship, are PVL Best Blockers MJ Phillips (Petro Gazz), Mika Reyes and Dell Palomata (PLDT).
National team head coach Jorge Souza de Brito admitted the pool are lacking players, hence the addition of two University of the East players Lia Pelaga and Riza Nogales who are listed as prospect players.
"We only have a short lineup of [17] players. We invited two guys from UE. They are ready to have training with us. We divide them into two groups to see if there is any progress," De Brito said during the 2023 PVL All Filipino Conference on Saturday.
Since most players and coaches, including De Brito who is the head coach of Akari Power Chargers, will participate in the 2023 PVL All Filipino Conference set to begin on Feb. 4, the training will be rescheduled.
"The best for the national team right now is that there's PVL competition with a good level. It's always good for any national team if you have a good competition with the highest level. You can just pick up the best players," he said.
The All-Filipino Conference is expected to wrap up by the end of March to give way for the overseas training of the national team.
The Philippine women's team has not bagged a medal in 18 years in the biennial meet. Its last podium finish during was in the 2005 SEA Games in Manila. The Philippines placed fourth in the past two editions of the SEAG.
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