Alyssa Valdez hopes to pick herself up from a knee injury in time for the SEA Games. —PVL PHOTO
Now, there’s this rush within Alyssa Valdez to be battle-ready in a few weeks.
“I think that’s one of my motivations also to be 100 percent,” Valdez said hours after learning that she was named women’s Philippine Team skipper to the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games next month. “You don’t wanna go there if you are not 100 percent so that’s my motivation.
“And honestly, I’m happy to be not just the captain, but to be part of the national team.”
Vince Raphael Mangulabnan, meanwhile, will captain the men’s team as the governing Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) released the rosters of the team on Sunday.
This will be the fifth straight Games for Valdez, becoming the longest tenured member of the team. She was the flag-bearer in the 2015 edition in Singapore, her first stint.
“It’s always an honor to represent our country. I remember the first time we got to participate also in the SEA Games it was in Singapore in 2015,” she said, smiling. “And now it’s already my fifth time. It’s so much special.”
“Whenever I join the national team, the feeling is different and [there’s] excitement to play for the flag,” she went on. “Hopefully, this will be a memorable one.”
Jorge Souza de Brito will call the shots with Sherwin Meneses of Creamline as his assistant. Valdez and Meneses aren’t the only members of the Cool Smashers on the team with decorated setter Jia de Guzman, three-time Most Valuable Player Tots Carlos, Ced Domingo, Jema Galanza, Michele Gumabao and libero Kyla Atienza also named by the PNVF.
The women’s team will also have 2018 Asian Games holdovers Mylene Paat, Kath Arado, Kat Tolentino and Dell Palomata as well as first-timers Gel Cayuna, Glaudine Troncoso and Cherry Nunag.
With Mangulabnan are Joshua Umandal, Lloyd Josafat, Kim Harold Dayandante, Vince Patrick Lorenzo, Jayvee Sumagaysay, Rwenzmel Taguibolos, Leo Ordiales, Manuel Sumanguid III, Iloilo’s Jade Alex Disquitado, Jay Rack dela Noche and newly-enlisted Filipino-Americans Steven Charles Rotter, Cyrus Justin de Guzman and Michael Raymund Vicente.
Another Brazilian, Sergio Valadares Veloso, will coach the men’s squad.