Women’s National Volleyball Team looks to expand pool ahead of busy 2019

The Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc. (LVPI) will stage open tryouts to expand the Philippine Women’s National Volleyball pool that will see action in major tournaments this year.

Through a letter, LVPI president Peter Cayco requested Philippine Superliga team owners and managers to allow their players to attend the open tryouts set on January 24 and 25 at the Arellano University gym.

National team head coach Shaq Delos Santos and his deputies Kungfu Reyes and Brian Esquibel will conduct the tryouts in a bid to bolster the pool.

The Nationals will be competing in the AVC Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship in China from April 20 to 28; followed by the 3rd Asian Women’s U23 Women’s Volleyball Championship in Vietnam set on July 23 to 31.

They will then campaign in the 20th Asian Senior Women’s Championship in South Korea from August 31 to September 8, before plunging into action in the 30th Southeast Asian Games, which the Philippines will host from Novemvbr 30 to December 10.

Leading the core of the national pool are seasoned international campaigners team Aby Maraño, Jaja Santiago, Alyssa Valdez, Mylene Paat, Cha Cruz-Behag, Jia Morado, Mika Reyes, Maika Ortiz, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Kim Fajardo, Kianna Dy, Dawn Macandili, and Denden Lazaro, all of whom campaigned in the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia last year.

Jasmine Nabor, Grethcel Soltones, Risa Sato, and Jema Galanza also earned pool spots after seeing action in the Asian Women’s Volleyball Cup in Thailand.

Aside from the PSL, the federation will also send letters addressed to ranking officials of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and National Collegiate Athletic Association to allow their players to join.

“With four major tournaments ahead, this is going to be a very busy season for our national team,” said Cayco.

“That’s why we decided to call for a pair of open tryouts to further expand the pool and make sure that we will have a very competitive team in the Asian and Southeast Asian tourneys that will be held this year.

“There are still a lot of untapped talent outside this pool and we’re looking to have them there,” Cayco said, hoping to see some new faces like Kalei Mau, Angel Canino, Milena Alessandrini, Faith Nisperos, Alyssa Solomon, Tots Carlos, Dell Palomata, and Eya Laure in the two-day tryouts.

The men’s national team, on the other hand, is set to call for tryouts next month.