PHNOM PENH—Alyssa Valdez has grow to be a relentless determine within the nationwide girls’s volleyball program for 5 Southeast Asian Video games in a row.
Now, it might be good for the Filipino volleyball superstar to lastly lead the crew to a medal end this time round.
“We’re all the time aiming to offer honor and delight to our nation not simply by representing it, so I hope we are able to convey residence a medal,’’ mentioned Valdez, the nation’s flag-bearer on the parade of countries in the course of the opening ceremony of the thirty second Southeast Asian Video games right here.
The ladies’s volley squad has been spruced up with a completely completely different lineup, apart from just a few holdovers from the earlier crew that landed fourth final yr within the Hanoi, Vietnam version of those Video games.
They went to Osaka, Japan final month for a two-week camp with SEAG veterans Jema Galanza, Dell Palomata, Kat Tolentino, Mylene Paat and Valdez spearheading the preparations below Brazilian head coach Jorge Souza de Brito.
The delegation from the Philippines parades in the course of the opening ceremony of the thirty second Southeast Asian Video games (SEA Video games) on the Morodok Techo Nationwide Stadium in Phnom Penh on Might 5, 2023. (Picture by MOHD RASFAN / AFP)
“We’ve seen that the women actually labored exhausting in the course of the coaching camp and even earlier than the camp,’’ mentioned Valdez, tapped because the nation’s flag-bearer in the course of the 2015 Singapore SEA Video games.
Bracketed in Group B with 2022 silver medalist Vietnam, host Cambodia and Singapore, the ladies’s crew has been strengthened by the core of the Creamline Cool Smashers, together with setter Jia Morado-De Guzman, hitters Michele Gumabao, Tots Carlos, Galanza, center blocker Ced Domingo and libero Kyla Atienza.
“I assume it’s an enormous duty to be again on court docket representing our nation. That’s why I actually tried to make it some extent to double my efforts,’’ mentioned Valdez after recovering from a latest knee damage that sidelined her within the all-Filipino convention of the Premiere Volleyball League.
Additionally becoming a member of the ladies’s crew are center blockers Cherry Nunag, Chay Troncoso and setter Gel Cayuna.
“I’m simply actually grateful for the belief of the coaches. It actually feels completely different once you play for the nation,’’ mentioned Valdez, who led an all-female Filipino athlete parade in the course of the opening rites on the Morodok Techo Nationwide Stadium that lasted over 5 hours.
“With that belief, we’ll give our all for an excellent struggle this SEA Video games,’’ added the Filipino star spiker.
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