THE Philippine women's national volleyball team suffered a 21-25, 25-19, 13-25, 22-25 defeat to Japan V. League team Himeji Victorina Club in a tuneup game held Saturday at Daicel Gymnasium, Himeji, Japan.
The squad led by Alyssa Valdez dropped its first scrimmage since arriving in Japan to a club that finished last in the 2022-2023 Japan V. League Division 1 season with a 5-28 slate.

“We have to improve our reception. We saw that during the game against Himeji,” said Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) chairman Tony Boy Liao.
The women’s team is in the middle of a 15-day training camp in Japan before heading to the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia in May.
The squad arrived in Japan on Thursday and immediately began their training session with libero Bang Pineda under head coach Jorge Souza de Brito, who will be steering the team in the biennial meet for the second time.
Joining Valdez are fellow veterans Jia Morado-De Guzman, Mylene Paat, Jema Galanza, Kat Tolentino, and Dell Palomata.
Rounding out the squad are first-timers Michele Gumabao, Ced Domingo, Glaudine Troncoso, Chery Nunag, Gel Cayuna, and three-time Premier Volleyball League MVP Tots Carlos.
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