SEA Games 7: Things to watch out for with PH women’s volleyball team

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The 2017 Southeast Asian Games just got going and what better way to pump yourself up for the regional sports showcase than read about a list of seven things to watch out for in Kuala Lumpur.

And this is not about the tourist attractions in the Malaysian capital. This is about the seven best things about the women’s volleyball team of the Philippines.

And without further ado, here is the list.

1. Mika’s leadership

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Mika Reyes’ appointment as the team’s skipper didn’t quite sit well with the fanbase of Philippine volleyball since the picturesque middle blocker hasn’t been a captain in recent memory.

But so far, she has shown that she has the qualities of being a great leader.

Reyes was a visible figure in the Philippines’ campaign in the AVC Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship, communicating with teammates every chance she gets.

The captain has shown control and calm while dealing with her teammates, and she seems to have shrugged off any outside negativity regarding her appointment.

2. Alyssa doing Alyssa things

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Another point of controversy was Alyssa Valdez’ inclusion to the national team but just like Reyes, Valdez has shown why she deserves to be in the position she’s in.

Valdez was the team’s best scorer in the AVC tournament averaging 14 points a game, and that’s enough to prove why she was chosen as the country’s outside hitter for the SEA Games.

The 24-year-old is still as potent as ever and is still a reliable point-getter when the going gets tough for the Filipinos.

3. Everything Jaja does

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While Valdez leads the team in scoring in the Asian tournament, Jaja Santiago provides the glorious highlights.

Santiago has evolved from a towering middle blocker to a versatile hitter that can play from the three spots in front of the net.

Santiago can still make those quick kills from the middle and she’s added a deadly running spike that, so far, has been a beauty.

4. Kimmy’s sneaky attacks

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Kim Fajardo is arguably the best setter among her peers as she steered De La Salle to three UAAP titles during her stay.

The wily playmaker, though, is not only renowned for her assists but also for her scoring prowess.

She won’t put up gaudy scoring numbers like Valdez or Santiago but when called upon Fajardo is willing to do the dirty work.

5. Jove’s veteran smarts

AVC Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

If there’s one constant in Philippine volleyball, it has to be Jovelyn Gonzaga donning the Philippine tricolor.

Gonzaga is just 25-years-old—for comparison Valdez is 24—but has represented the Philippines in every conceivable volleyball tournament since 2015.

She’s captained the team that participated in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games, played in the FIVB Women’s Club World Championship, AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship, and just everything in between.

Gonzaga is Philippine volleyball personified.

6. Kianna breaking through

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Kim Kianna Dy was initially named as a reserve player of the national team but when Rachel Anne Daquis announced that she would be leaving the team months before the SEA Games the La Sallian was thrust into the main team.

And in her first game as a national player, didn’t go the way she had imagined it.

She was a nervous wreck when she came in as a substitute in the AVC tournament, but her shot at redemption came just two days after.

After her disappointing showing against Hong Kong, Dy showed class as part of the first six that faced Kazakhstan.

Dy showed flashes 0f brilliance as one of the better opposite hitters of the country and proved to head coach Francis Vicente that she deserves to be in the main team.

7. The little ones, Denden and Dawn

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Denden Lazaro and Dawn Macandili definitely breathe defense.

Both Lazaro and Macandili have been prime examples of what a Philippine libero should be.

The two defensive aces practically own the ground game and clean up whatever mess their taller teammates couldn’t get to.