BARUERI, BRAZIL—The Philippine women’s volleyball team arrived here Wednesday night (Thursday in Manila) after almost 40 hours of travel to set up a training camp in preparation for the country’s medal drive in the 31st Southeast Asian Games.
SEA Games veterans Alyssa Valdez, Aby Maraño and Jaja Santiago headline the 14-athlete squad that will go through a series of tuneup matches against some of the finest Brazilian club teams in a span of two weeks.
They are all billeted at Sportville, a center of sports excellence in this municipality located an hour away from Sao Paolo City, under the tutelage of coaches Odjie Mamon, Grace Antigua, Brazilian coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito.
Also joining the camp are open spikers Jema Galanza and Ces Molina, opposite spikers Kat Tolentino and Mylene Paat, setters Kyle Negrito and Iris Tolenada and middle blockers Ria Meneses, Majoy Baron and Dell Palomata as well as liberos Dawn Macandili and Kath Arado.
“We will begin our training after breakfast tomorrow and test the team in a tuneup game at night,” said de Brito, who played for Brazil’s gold-winning men’s national team in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
The women’s squad faces Superliga A club team São Caetano for its initial salvo before scheduling four or five more tuneup games that could serve the country well in the coming SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam on May 12-23.
Formed by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation headed by its president Ramon “Tats” Suzara, the Brazilian training for the social media-popular team is backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Rebisco, PLDT and the City of Taguig.
“The goal is to win a medal in Vietnam. Although the team was formed only recently, the training camp that will run for two weeks in Brazil will be an integral part of our preparation,” said Suzara.
PNVF executive board member and national team chairperson Tony Boy Liao also accompanied the team with coach/statistician Tina Salak, trainer Raffy Mosuela, physical therapist Grace Gomez.
PNVF secretary general Don Caringal and team manager Fe Moran led the team’s orientation and sendoff in Manila after the federation finally put together the necessary pieces for the SEA Games following the conclusion of the Premiere Volleyball League championship last week.
“We wish them the best of luck in Brazil. We’re confident that the training camp will bring out the best from these players as a team,” said Caringal.
This is the first time the squad will practice together since the entries for the team in the SEA Games were finalized last week.
The last time PH women’s volley captured the gold medal in the SEA Games was in 1993 and had a couple of bronze medals in 2003 Hanoi and 2005 Manila.