The Philippine national team tempers expectations in its campaign in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Challenge Cup for Women in Indonesia set to begin on Sunday.
Hastily formed after the majority of the players that saw action in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia begged off from participating in the tournament that will run from 18 to 25 June, the squad will parade new faces mostly first-timers on the international stage.
Philippine National Volleyball Federation national team commission head Tonyboy Liao is looking at a modest Top 8 finish for the Filipinas, who flew to Gresik, located in East Java, last night.
“With regards to the new team that was created, they haven’t really trained as a whole for even a week,” Liao told Daily Tribune yesterday.
“So, I don’t expect them to have a very good finish but if they can make the Top 8, that will be already good,” he added.
Libero Bang Pineda is the only player in the SEA Games lineup of Brazilian head coach Jorge Souza de Brito left for another tour of duty.
Pineda is joined by Akari teammates Faith Nisperos, who took part in the 2021 AVC Asian Club Championship, Eli Soyud, Erika Raagas, Michelle Cobb and Ezra Madrigal. De Brito is also the head coach of the Chargers.
Also tapped to reinforce the Nationals is Petro Gazz veteran Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, who was part of the national team during the 2019 SEA Games, along with fellow Angels setter Djanel Cheng, Shaya Adorador of Foton, PLDT’s Jules Samonte and collegiate players AC Miner and Roma Mae Doromal and University of the East duo of Lia Pelaga and Riza Nogales.
Liao shared that most players from the Phnom Penh SEA Games roster, which fell short of ending an 18-year podium drought, declined to participate in the weeklong tilt to get much-needed rest ahead of the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference scheduled to begin on 27 June.
‘With regards to the new team that was created, they haven’t really trained as a whole for even a week.’
“The main reason that most of the players from the SEA Games declined from playing in the AVC Challenger Cup because most of them are so tired already after playing in the PVL Open Conference, (then) they had a 15-day training in Japan and then played in the Cambodia SEA Games,” he said.
“They now would like to concentrate with their club teams in preparation for the PVL Invitational.”
Creamline loaned seven of its top players in the national team for the SEAG Games led by skipper Alyssa Valdez, Jema Galanza, Michele Gumabao, Tots Carlos, Kyla Atienza, Ced Domingo and setter Jia Morado-de Guzman.
Other pro players who begged off were Kat Tolentino and Cherry Nunag of Choco Mucho, Mylene Paat of Chery Tiggo, Dell Palomata of PLDT, and Chai Trongcoso and Gel Cayuna of Cignal.
The Nationals will begin their campaign on 19 June against Macao before facing Indonesia the next day in Pool A.
Iran, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei are in Pool B, Pool C is composed of Australia and India while Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Mongolia are bunched in Pool D.
The top two teams in each pool will advance to the next round.
