Stars’ absences worry national coach Vicente

Coach Francis Vicente. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

National women’s volleyball team coach Francis Vicente has sounded an alarm regarding the absences of pool members during their Sunday practices.

Vicente said he is concerned because “some of the superstars are not showing up” during the weekly training set from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at Arellano University gym.

The mentor said only 9 to 12 players show up during practices the past five weeks.

He didn’t say who among the 25 A-listers are habitually absent but said he is still confident that they are in top condition because “they are playing in different leagues.”

“I know they are in good condition although that depends on the coach handling their conditioning,” Vicente told the Inquirer. “Here in our national team we have our own conditioning coach.”

Now he’s also concerned of the “jelling” of the players because they have yet to show up together in one court.

But he maintained that “these players are smart and know how to adjust to each other because they have faced each other at one time or the other.”

“I’m hoping that after the UAAP finals I get to see more of the players in practice although all in all I’m happy with the progress we are making during our Sunday sessions,” he added.

Vicente said they will name the 18 members of the national team after the May 15 Clash of Heroes exhibition match slated at Filoil Flying V Centre.

“That will be a good venue to gauge our readiness and the players’ all around aptitude,” said Vicente, who will also choose then the team captain.

So far, Vicente is reportedly looking at three names to be the leader of the squad that will represent the country in the Southeast Asian Games in August in Kuala Lumpur.

Already Alyssa Valdez, Rachel Anne Daquis and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas have been floated as the favorites, although Vicente refused to confirm nor deny the names.