Ateneo players didn’t get nat’l team tryout invites, officials say

Kat Tolentino and Maddie Madayag. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Ateneo officials on Wednesday said they were surprised that two of their players were included into the national team pool of the Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas.

Lady Eagles Kat Tolentino and Maddie Madayag were part of the 25-woman pool released by LVPI despite not getting any invitations to join the tryouts that began on January 28 and ended on January 31 in Manila.

“The players said they didn’t get any [invitations], and if the athletic office got the invitation, they would’ve asked the players also,” said Palou at Filoil Flying V Centre. “None of the players received an invitation, men’s or women’s.”

UAAP MVP Marck Espejo of the Ateneo Blue Eagles wasn’t included in the national team pool.

Lady Eagles team manager Tony Boy Liao said Tolentino and Madayag were included into the pool since they would be part of the under-23 team.

Liao, however, questioned the move of still putting the two Lady Eagles in the roster if they will only be relegated to the Under-23 squad.

“Why would you still put them there?” said Liao. “It’s as if saying that, definitely, they won’t be included into the final lineup of the national team and they were just included for the sake of the Under-23 team.”