The national women’s volleyball team will have a hectic schedule when it leaves next week for a 17-day training camp in Japan as part of its massive buildup for the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games next month.
The team will plunge into a twice-a-day training a day after it reaches Oklahoma City on Tuesday as it intends to make it to the podium after years of so-so showing in the biennial meet.
It will spend four hours of training in the morning session and actual games in the afternoon against a local team.
A public exhibition match between the two squads is also set on July 22, before it resumes regular schedule.
The Filipina spikers will then leave for Osaka on July 25, where they will also follow the same twice-a-day training schedule until Aug. 2, this time, against different university teams.
PH team coach Francis Vicente reiterated their goal of improving their physical and mental speed in the game, where the Japanese players are good at.
“Yung speed ng bawat isang player, yun yung nakikita kong ideal sa team because we already have the height and the skills,” said Vicente.
“Gusto ko ring ma-improve yung mental toughness nila, yung bilis nilang mag-decide sa mga plays at ma-translate it into points,” he added.
Apart from speed, Vicente also hopes his players will improve on their floor defense and blocking.
Japan is one of the successful Asian countries in the sport, where it reaped several medals in the Olympics, the World Championships, and the Asian Games.
Captain Mika Reyes said it will be a good exposure for them as they are looking forward to train with their Japanese counterparts.