New coach keeps tight leash PH FIVB team

THE PHILIPPINE team competing in the FIVB Women’s Club World Championship has been holding closed-door, spartan-like training sessions since Monday under the watch of Japanese head coach Shun Takahashi.

Players were told to stow away their smartphones and other gadgets while practice is ongoing.

Local coaches also instructed the players to conduct themselves well.

Takahashi, a former assistant coach of the Japan national squad, has a reputation of being strict with his players.

The tournament is the biggest volleyball event to be held in the country and the Philippines is hoping to make a good impression in its debut performance.

But opposite spiker Jovelyn Gonzaga, one of the seven homegrown players to form the club, said Takahashi is pleasant to the members of the team and diligent in assessing each of the players’ games.

Only Philippine Superliga officials, members of the coaching staff and selected members of the PSL press corps were allowed inside Arellano University Gym in Pasay City.

Last month, a PSL selection team made up of the core of Foton finished seventh in the AVC Women’s Club Championships where the coach, Fabio Menta of Italy, noted the lack of discipline among the players.

The RC Cola-Army stalwart is joined in the team by teammate Rachel Anne Daquis, Mika Reyes and Kim Fajardo of F2 Logistics, Ces Molina and Jen Reyes of Petron, and Jaja Santiago of Foton.

Only American Lindsay Stalzer and Japanese Yuri Fukuda have arrived from among the seven foreign reinforcements who will beef up the PSL-Manila squad in the meet slated Oct. 18 to 23 at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

Olympian Lynda Morales has reportedly planed in Wednesday and was to join the club in practice.