THE Philippine volleyball team starts preparation for the Southeast Asian Games just days after the conclusion of the 2015 Asian Under-23 Women’s Volleyball Championship, and local officials hope the players would respond to the call for national duty.
There will be no time to rest for several members of the Philippine Under-23 women’s volleyball team who have been named to the SEA Game squad, and the Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas Inc. (LVPI) could only hope the seniors players included in the provisional list would join the squad in first practice on Monday.
Last month, the Under-23 team’s first day of practice drew only four players.
[See Only four players show up for training of PH Under-23 pool for Asian volleyball wars]
“Hopefully, dumating sila ngayon. ’Yung hindi dumating, hindi na namin aantayin kasi mahuhuli na naman kami,” said LVPI president Joey Romasanta told Spin.ph, noting that they need to get things going since the SEA Games in Singapore is less than a month away.
“We'd rather have committed players than players who can’t commit due to their schedules para makapaghanda na tayo,” said Romasanta.
Under-23 team captain Alyssa Valdez is part of the SEA Games athletes list by the Philippine Olympic Committee along with teammates Jaja Santiago, Julia Morado, and Gretcel Soltones.
“Sila coach Roger (Gorayeb) have identified already the players who they feel should be part of the reinforcements for the SEA Games,” Romasanta.
“They have scheduled the first practice on Monday,” Romasanta added.
Also part of the provisional list are Aby Marano, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Denden Lazaro, Rachel Ann Daquis, Rhea Dimaculangan, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Maika Ortiz, and Aiza Pontillas although the LVPI made clear that the list isn’t final.
Valdez is set to carry the Philippine flag for the delegation in the opening ceremony of the SEA Games slated June 5.
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