By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) is mulling to send the men’s and women’s indoor teams abroad in the coming months in preparation for the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam in May.
The men’s training pool is expected to undergo training camp in Qatar next month while its women’s counterpart in Brazil in April with hopes of bolstering their skills and chemistry in time for the biennial meet.
The men’s team is aiming to surpass its historic silver medal finish at the 30th SEAG that the country hosted in 2019, while the women’s squad hopes to make it to the podium after placing fourth.
Preparations are in full swing since the PNVF announced the 20-player pool for both men and women, with the men’s pool scheduled to being training in Taguig next week.
The women’s pool, for its part, will train with their respective teams in the Premier Volleyball League before the three-week camp in Brazil.
The 20-player pool will be trimmed down to 14 players after the Brazil training.
PNVF president Tats Suzara also said the women’s pool could only start training as a whole in Brazil since most players are seeing action in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference set March 16 to April 19 in a still undisclosed venue.
Alyssa Valdez and Jaja Santiago spearhead the women’s pool also composed of Kalei Mau, Dindin Manabat, Dawn Macandili and Kat Tolentino, to name a few.
The core of the 2019 SEAG silver medalists PH team, meanwhile, comprise the men’s pool led by the deadly trio of Marck Espejo, Bryan Bagunas and John Vic De Guzman.
