Philippine women’s volleyball team in Japan. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine women’s volleyball team battles the Himeji Victorina in a tune-up game on Saturday as part of its 15-day training camp ahead of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia next month.
The Filipino Spikers take on the Japan V.League Division 1 club at 12 noon (Manila time), according to National Teams Commission chair Tonyboy Liao.
The Victorina, led by import Celeste Plak and locals Arisa Nagano, Airi Miyabe, Saki Tanaka, and Aikiho Matsumoto, finished last in the 2022-23 V.League season with a 5-28 record in the 12-team field.
The Philippine team, under coach Jorge Souza de Brito, is parading the core of the Premier Volleyball League champion Creamline bannered by skipper Alyssa Valdez, Jia De Guzman, Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza, Michele Gumabao, Ced Domingo, and Kyla Atienza.
Mylene Paat, a third-time campaigner in the biennial meet, is also expected to lead the team, which also has Gel Cayuna, Chai Troncoso, Dell Palomata, Cherry Nunag, Kat Tolentino, and libero Bang Pineda, who was a late replacement for injured Kath Arado.
Valdez and Co., who are seeking to end an 18-year medal drought in the SEA Games, kicked off its training camp with an afternoon training session.
WATCH: The Philippine women's volleyball team starts its afternoon training in Japan. | 🎥: National Teams Commission chair Tonyboy Liao | @LanceAgcaoilINQ pic.twitter.com/hRXd0jKqwN
— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) April 14, 2023
The delegation, accompanied by Liao and De Brito’s coaching staff, arrived at Kansai International Airport on Friday midnight after leaving the Philippines via Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong for a short layover before heading to Osaka.
Meanwhile, the Philippine beach volleyball teams flew to Brazil on Thursday night.
Women’s squad Jovelyn Gonzaga and Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons and Dij Rodriguez left the country with the men’s team composed of Ranran Abdilla, Jaron Requinton, Jude Garcia, and James Buytrago.
Brazilian coach Joao Luciano Simao Barbosa will handle both squads with Romnick Rico as the women’s assistant coach and Rosemarie Prochina as the team manager. Rhovyl Verayo will serve as an assistant coach in the men’s squad with John Paulo Agir as the strength and conditioning coach.
Both squads are seeking to surpass their back-to-back bronze medal finishes in the past two SEA Games.
They will train in Brazil until April 28.