The women’s national team flew to Thailand on Tuesday for the 22nd Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship.
The team is composed mostly of the core of the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs and top collegiate players.
Present during the send-off were the team’s top backer in SM’s top man Hans Sy.
“I believe in you, I believe you can deliver really good result,” Sy, chairman of SM Prime Holdings, told the national team during a send-off brunch at the Conrad Hotel.
“This is a competition, but it’s not ‘win or lose,’ it’s really the experience you’ll gain and momentum you’ll build,” said Sy.
With Sy during the send-off were Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara and secretary-general Donaldo Caringal and Lady Bulldogs team manager Engineer Mariano “Bing” See Diet.
The team—coached by Brazilian Jorge Edson Souza de Brito with NU’s Norman Miguel as deputy—is led by University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 84 Rookie Most Valuable Player Alyssa Solomon and fellow NU star Michaela Belen.
Also on the team are NU’s Natashza Bombita, Camille Lamina, Shaira Jardio, Minierva Maaya, Evangeline Alinsug, Erin Pangilinan, Pearl Denura and Myrtle Escanlar along with incoming rookies Arah Panique and Abegail Pono.
They are joined by Lorene Toring of Adamson University and Nina Ytang of University of the Philippines
Fourteen strong teams are seeing action with the Philippines bracketed in Pool D with many-time champion China, Kazakhstan and Hong Kong.
Reigning champion Japan leads Pool B with India and Iran, Pool A is composed of Australia, Thailand and Mongolia and Pool C is composed of South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
The Philippines plays Kazakhstan at 3 p.m. on opening day Wednesday, China also 3 p.m. Thursday and Hong Kong at 12 noon Friday.
