Team captain Alyssa Valdez is hoping to see action in the 32nd Southeast Asia Games after sitting out the Filipinas’ walloping of Cambodia to start their women’s volleyball campaign.
The 29-year-old winger was reduced to a mere spectator when the Nationals overpowered a young and inexperienced Cambodians, 25-5, 25-5, 25-5, in their Group B match Tuesday night at the Olympic Complex Indoor Main Hall.
Coming back from a right knee injury she sustained last December that sidelined her for the whole duration of the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference, there are still doubts about Valdez’s condition despite getting her fifth straight tour of duty in the biennial meet.
Valdez, who underwent a procedure on her injured knee last February, is keeping her hopes high of getting the green light from her doctors and Brazilian head coach Jorge Souza de Brito to play.
‘I’ve been really listening to my coaches, therapists and doctors. I’m doing pretty well in practice.’
“Hopefully, hopefully (I’ll get to play),” Valdez, who arrived in Cambodia earlier to serve as flag bearer of Team Philippines during the opening ceremonies last Friday, said.
Still, Valdez has no straight answer on when she will finally march to battle.
“I’ve been really listening to my coaches, therapists and doctors. I’m doing pretty well in practice,” she said.
“We really trust Coach Jorge’s system. Whatever their plan and what they wanted us to do we’ll do it. We really trust this team.”
De Brito said that he would like to get Valdez back to active duty but there are factors that need to be considered. In the meantime, the coaching staff keeps Valdez busy in training.
“She’s ready to play,” De Brito said but did not elaborate when exactly Valdez will see action.
“If we need (her), for sure (we’ll field her). But one thing to say, she’s training hard for this (tournament). We’re pushing her to train hard, really hard.”
The Nationals will close the group stage on Thursday against Singapore.
