WOMEN’S national volleyball team head coach Shaq delos Santos said that joining the AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship will just run in conflict with the crucial round of Philippine Superliga Grand Prix.
Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. had expressed its intention to join three AVC tournaments this year but the country wasn’t part of the draw last Tuesday at the Dusit Princess Srinakarin Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.
One of the three tournaments that the national team intended to participate in is the 2019 Asian Women’s Club Championship from April 27-May 5 in Tianjin, China.
Those dates were scheduled simultaneously with the semifinals Game Three of the PSL Grand Prix, if necessary, and the best-of-three Finals series.
Delos Santos, who is also the coach of Petron, said it will be a conflict for the players since most of the national pool members are from the PSL.
“Sa ngayon kasi yung AVC, negative siya kung titignan natin hindi mo pwedeng i-pull out yung players especially pag tinignan mo yung schedule parang malapit na yung quarterfinals,” Delos Santos said. “So kung kukunin mo yung mga players, walang papayag na club team maglaro para ibigay para maglaro doon kasi siyempre kahit kami yung team namin hindi rin ganoon kadali kasi mas maganda na yung labanan.”
“Nagdecide din kami na wag na magjoin kasi ayaw namin na maapektuhan nung team yung PSL,” he added.
The national team coach said that LVPI will meet regarding the third Asian U-23 Women’s Volleyball Championship from July 13-21 in Hanoi, Vietnam and 20th Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship from August 17-25 in Seoul, Korea.
The Philippines wasn’t also part of the draw of the U-23 and Senior leagues of AVC.
“Paguusapan namin yung tungkol dun kasi siyempre medyo busy din kami this time so magseset muna kami ng meeting kay sir Peter para i-finalize kung ano yung dapat gawin,” Delos Santos said, referring to LVPI president Peter Cayco.
But regardless if Philippines will join AVC tournaments or not, Delos Santos believes that the national team will have enough preparation for the Southeast Asian Games in November as LVPI promised to bring them for a training camp in Japan and another overseas training.
“Actually kahit hindi kami makasali doon sa tournament ang isang goal namin is yung training camp,” Delos Santos said. “Mas magbebenefit din yung team doon kasi mas maitatama namin kung ano yung kulang, mas mapeprepare namin yung team siguro mas madadagdagan lang yung camp namin if ever di matuloy.”
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