THE Philippine under-23 women’s volleyball team continued to gear up for the upcoming 2019 Thailand Open Sealect Tuna Championships on Thursday at the Arellano University School of Law along Taft Avenue.
U-23 team captain Celine Domingo led the youth team, bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commissioner and Larong Volleyball Sa Pilipinas Inc., in their tight preparation as their first international exposure is just a week away before it unveils from July 4 to 10.
Among the ladies in the 14-woman line-up, only reigning UAAP girls’ MVP Angel Canino missed the training of the because of her classes at De La Salle-Zobel.
“Si Angel last time nandito ngayon lang siya nawala sa buong training namin kasi may pasok na. Baka bukas sana makapunta,” said U-23 head coach KungFu Reyes.
Domingo led her fellow Far Eastern University players Ivana Agudo and Lyann De Guzman, University of Santo Tomas Tigresses Mafe Galanza, Lyn Galdones, Ysa Jimenez, Maji Mangulabnan, Rachelle Roldan, Imee Hernandez, and Janna Torres, University of the Philippines’ Roselyn Rosier and Jewel Encarnacion and De La Salle’s rookie Justine Jazareno.
U-23 pool members Tots Carlos and Eya Laure helped the Thailand-bound squad during the practice despite ruling out unavailable for the pocket tourney.
Carlos couldn’t join the national squad as her club team Motolite is still in hunt for the semifinals in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference, while Laure is still nursing the left ankle injury she sustained in the UAAP finals.
Despite the short preparation and coming from different universities and level in College and Highschool, Reyes was impressed with the team chemistry of his wards after a few days of training.
“Kita mo naman yung [galaw], parang matagal ng magkakasama ang mga bata,” Reyes said. “Yun ang magandang indication na almost there. Kumbaga ilalaban na lang natin itong mga bata na ‘to.”
Reyes has Brian Esquibel, Clarence Esteban and Tina Salak as assistant coaches. Women’s national team head coach Shaq Delos Santos also took some time to observe the U-23 squad in training before Petron’s match against F2 Logistics late Thursday night at the Arena in San Juan City.
As the U-23 flies on July 3 for Thailand, the squad will strive for the final stretch of preparation with another training on Friday at UST, a possible tune-up game against FEU Lady Tamaraws on Monday before its last practice at Arellano on Monday.
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