At least eight players from National University will see action for the new Philippine women’s volleyball team set to participate in three international tournaments this year.
Newly-appointed Lady Bulldogs head coach Norman Miguel told Daily Tribune on Sunday that the team has already committed to the Philippine National Volleyball Federation’s call for the formation of a new national squad.
The Lady Bulldogs, who finished runners-up in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 85, have already withdrawn their participation in the coming Shakey’s Super League National Invitationals later this month.
“We are not participating in the SSL Invitational because NU players committed to PNVF National Women’s Team tournaments this August,” Miguel said.
Brazilian head coach Jorge Souza de Brito will select the Lady Bulldogs that will compose the majority of the national team competing in the two legs of the ASEAN Grand Prix in Da Lat, Vietnam and Chiang Mai, Thailand next month.
The Nationals will also play in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Asian Sr. Women’s Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand opening on 2 September.
“It’s not the whole NU team. I think at least eight players from NU will be part of the National Team to play in the Grand Prix in Vietnam and Thailand and the AVC Asian Senior Women’s in Thailand also,” Miguel said.
“But as of this time (we don’t know who will be selected yet), probably when we start the training that’s the time Coach Jorge and the other coaches will decide who will be included in the roster. But most probably it would include the core of NU’s first six.”
UAAP Season 84 Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player Bella Belen, Alyssa Solomon, setter Lams Lamina, Sheena Toring, Vangie Alinsug and Erin Pangilinan are expected to be included in the list of names for the national team.
It will be the second time that the PNVF and NU will strike a national team partnership after the botched 2022 squad that was supposed to join the Asian Volleyball Confederation Cup which the country hosted last year.
The federation released 12 of the NU players included in the 14-woman Nationals due to ‘commitment issues.’ Club team Creamline replaced the dissolved national squad.
It is uncertain, however, if the new national team will also be representing the country in the Hangzhou Asian Games slated to run from 28 September to 8 October.
