Volleyball stars grace national tryouts

THE PHILIPPINE Volleyball Federation is hoping to finally come up with the strongest national team in the men’s and women’s division after conducting a national tryout attended by all standouts in the sport.

“We can say that it is a miracle of sorts,” PVF secretary general Otie Camangian told the Inquirer yesterday. “Suddenly everybody participated. So now we can say with 100-percent certainty that we have the who’s who of Philippine volleyball in our national teams.”

He said the results of the tryouts will be announced within a week with 19 slots each for both men’s and women’s teams. However, Camangian said two to three slots per team will be reserved for Fil-foreign spikers.

Camangian said they will base their selection on a stringent set of criteria including commitment to the team, technical skills, tactical skills and age.

The new teams will then have a “break-in” at the Singapore Southeast Asian Games next year. The Philippines, hampered by dearth of talents and infighting, hasn’t taken part in the SEAG since 2005.

Camangian said they will attend a meeting with Southeast Asian Volleyball Association next month and may come up with a schedule late in the year where the PH squads can take part.

Among the stakeholders who agreed to lend their players during the tryouts held at Ninoy Aquino Stadium  are the UAAP, NCAA, Shakey’s V-League and Philippine Superliga.

Expected to make the women’s team are Army stalwarts Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachel Daquis, National University’s dreaded sisters Jaja and Dindin Santiago, La Salle’s Aby Marano, Air Force’s Iari Yongco and UAAP MVP Alyssa Valdez of Ateneo.