By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
A mix of seasoned and promising young talents make up the 20-player pool for the Alas Pilipinas women’s volleyball team that will compete in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December.
Leading the pool are versatile setter Jia De Guzman of Creamline along with veteran libero Dawn Cantindig of Cignal, this year’s top rookie pick in the Premier Volleyball League Bella Belen of Capital1, and collegiate standout Angel Canino of La Salle.
Also part of the pool are Choco Mucho’s Kat Tolentino and PLDT’s Dell Palomata — two players who competed in the previous edition of the biennial meet held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia — along with setter Julia Coronel of Galeries Tower and Mars Alba of Akari.
Liberos Jen Nierva of Chery Tiggo and Justine Jazareno of Akari are also in the list, as well as opposites Leila Cruz of Capital1, Alyssa Solomon of Osaka Marvelous, outside hitters Eya Laure of Chery Tiggo, Vanie Gandler of Cignal, and Alleiah Malaluan of PLDT, and middle blockers Maddie Madayag of Choco Mucho, Fifi Sharma of Akari and last year’s PVL top rookie pick Thea Gagate of ZUS Coffee.
Completing the pool cast are collegiate players Shaina Nitura of Adamson and Amie Provido of La Salle.
Steering the squad is Brazilian head coach Jorge de Brito.
The team is scheduled to hold a training camp from Nov. 15 to 30 either in Japan or Taiwan in time for the competitions set Dec. 10 to 19 at the Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok.
Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara eyes nothing but the gold medal for the promising crew as the country bids to end its gold-medal drought.
The last time the country won the SEAG gold in the women’s division was in 1993 in Singapore. In Cambodia two years ago, the Filipina spikers finished fourth.
