Valdez-led SEAG volley squad vying in Vietnam

PHILIPPINE volleyball is likely to keep its star-studded Southeast Asian Games lineup for an upcoming tournament while pursuing plans to form an Under-21 squad that will eventually take over as the national team.

Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas president Joey Romasanta said the Alyssa Valdez-led PH team that competed in Singapore early this month will represent the country in the Asian Invitationals in Vietnam from July 25 to Aug. 1.

“We have no time to put up a new team,” said Romasanta, adding they might tap the services of other coaches to handle the team.

He said they will also start forming a young team whose members won’t be allowed to play other than for their respective schools.

Romasanta said the new team, which will eventually represent the country in the 2017 Malaysia SEA Games, will only play in commercial leagues as one unit.

“We want to avoid what happened before the SEA Games when all the players were training for two leagues and the national team,” said Romasanta.

In the next SEA Games, he said, it’s going to be a “different story,” as the composition of the squad will be overhauled.

Romasanta added he will push for a unified calendar for Philippine volleyball to avoid conflict in schedules among the national team, National Collegiate Athletic Association, University Athletic Association of the Philippines, Shakey’s V-League and Philippine Superliga.