EVEN before the reassembled Alas Pilipinas Women side could formally begin preparations for a packed international calendar, the national team is already staring at some personnel concerns.
SPIN.ph has learned that at least two members of the 19-player pool for the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games and the Southeast Asian V.League are expected to beg off from national team duties, further trimming the talent available for new head coach Taka Minowa.
READ Taka Minowa takes charge as Alas Pilipinas Women's coach
The development comes on the heels of the already-disclosed absence of UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball MVP Shaina Nitura, who is set to undergo ankle surgery after sustaining an injury that ruled her out of consideration for the remainder of the year.
But the decorated Adamson winger is not the only casualty.
Another wing spiker in the original pool is also expected to step back from national team duties as she continues to deal with injury concerns of her own, sources told SPIN.ph.
The lingering issue has likewise forced the high-flying attacker to miss an extended stretch of her PVL club’s ongoing offseason preparations as she prioritizes recovery ahead of the next conference.
The setbacks don’t end there as sources bared another member of the original 19-woman pool, a multi-awarded standout who has piled up team accolades in college, the club ranks and on the international stage with Alas Pilipinas, is likewise expected to skip the upcoming campaigns.
Her withdrawal, however, can open the door for a familiar face.
A notable veteran figure who was left out of the original Alas Women pool is being lined up to take her place, adding much-needed experience to a squad that will be navigating two major international tournaments in quick succession.
The changes leave Alas Pilipinas with little time to settle its final roster as preparations ramp up for the SEA V. Cup before shifting focus to the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya this September. - John Mark Garcia
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