Phl spikers face Indons

KALEI Mau is tipped to power the Philippines in the Asean Grand Prix.

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand — A Philippine squad pressed for time and hurt by injuries to key players clashes with Indonesia in the opening salvo of the first-ever Asean Grand Prix women’s volleyball tournament at the Terminal 21 Mall on Friday here.

Game time is at 3 p.m. (2 p.m. in Manila).

Honing their skills for the 30th Southeast Asian Games, the Nationals are coming off from a 12-day training camp in Bangkok where they faced several team including Thailand national teams and Toray Arrows of the Japan V-League.

Head coach Shaq de los Santos said the inaugural staging of this tourney would be very crucial to their preparation as it gauged their readiness for the prestigious biennial meet, where they are hunting for a return flight to the medal podium.

He said their Bangkok camp prepared them for the looming battle ahead.

“We learned a lot from the training camp, every match we felt that we are getting better,” said De los Santos, who calls the shots for Petron in the Philippine Superliga (PSL).

“Conditioning-wise and skills, we are good.”

The team has been working out twice a day during the training camp, which was only the first in the rigid training schedule for the players in the coming weeks.

De los Santos, who also helmed the Nationals in a historic return to the Asian Games in Jakarta last year, said his only concern is that unlike other teams, the Philippines has only been playing together for a short time.

“So we need to make quick adjustments,” he said. “But these are mostly veteran players they can make do with what’s given. We will do our best under the circumstance.”

That includes playing without top gunner Alyssa Valdez who injured her right ankle on the eve of leaving for Bangkok.

Without Valdez, PSL All-Filipino Conference Most Valuable Player Kalei Mau, Ces Molina and rookie Eya Laure are tipped to provide scoring punches while Aiza Pontillas, Mylene Paat and Jovelyn Gonzaga man the opposite and team captain Aby Marano, Majoy Baron, Maddie Madayag and Roselyn Doria serving as middle blockers.

Also in the team are liberos Dawn Macandili and Kath Arado and setters Kia Morado and Alohi Robins-Hardy.