On the same day he was announced as Philippine Women’s National Volleyball Team head coach, Odjie Mamon also had a surprise in store for him.
Hours after his announcement, F2 Logistics — the last standing member team of the Philippine Superliga — jumped ship to the Premier Volleyball League. With the transfer, all of the country’s top women’s volleyball teams are now under one roof.
And it is definitely a boost to the program he is building.
“It’s a good thing that there’s one league.
“Pero ‘yung federation natin, sinabi sa akin na ‘yung full support in forming the national team, may free hand kami for selection ng players, although may criteria,” said Mamon during last Tuesday’s episode of The Game.
Earlier in the day, PVL president Ricky Palou had already pledged that his league, the country’s first-ever professional women’s volleyball organizer, is committed to the national team.
In fact, Palou, a board member of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation, has already raised to the federation that there should be a full-time pool training all-year-round.
“We’re suggesting that the national team pool practice all year round, even if there’s a PVL tournament ongoing,” said Palou during the Philippine Sportswriters Association forum.
“Maybe we can come up with a schedule that the national team practices in the mornings or in the evenings, and the club teams practice vice versa, so that the teams should be able to train all year round. The players should be able to train all year round.”
Mamon has already assured that all the top players in the country will be in the seniors team while also “discovering new talents.”
Unlike before where there are two leagues, all of the players will no longer have the unnecessary stress of waiting on schedule alignments.
For their part, the PVL will be aligning its schedule with the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).
“We’d like to end our tournament and give the national team enough time for at least, a minimum of one month to train on their own,” said Palou.
Moreover, the PVL is looking to make their tournaments a qualifier for the Asian or World club championships one day.
“The club championship, whoever wins the PVL will represent the country in the club championship.”
