Two of the country’s brightest volleyball stars will spearhead the Philippine national team in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games that will be held in the country on Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.
Alyssa Valdez and Aby Maraño wil form the core of the team that will also have Fil-Am Kalei Mau and novices Eya Laure and Maddie Madayag.
Completing the team are Rhea Dimaculangan and Jia Morado, open spiker Ces Molina, opposite spikers Jovelyn Gonzaga and Mylene Paat, middle blockers Mika Reyes and Majoy Baron and liberos Dawn Macandili and Kath Arado, as per a report from the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
“This is the best possible team we can come up with at the moment. I have strong faith in this lineup, and with the short time we spent in training camp and Asian Grand Prix, I know they will have that winning attitude with them,” said national coach Shaq Delos Santos in the report.
Two other top Filipino players Jaja Santiago and Dindin Manabat will be skipping the tournament after failing to secure releases from their mother clubs in the Japanese V-League.
The volleyball competition will start on Nov. 28 at PhilSports Arena in Pasig where the Philippines will go up against Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam, among others.
