Philippine volleybelles start campaign versus Vietnam

MANILA, Philippines — The long wait is over. But the entry to the match thousands of Pinoys had looked forward to could take a little longer for the expected thousand of fans trooping to the national women’s volleyball team’s match against Vietnam at the Philsports Arena in Pasig tonight.

Lead star Alyssa Valdez, skipper Aby Maraño and the rest of the crack squad have time and again implied that the crowd is one big motivation in their medal drive in the sport that has gained mainstream appeal here the last few years and which features three of the region’s leading teams, including perennial champion Thailand and 2017 silver medalist Indonesia and bronze medal winner Vietnam.

That practically leaves the Pinay spikers, perhaps one of the most popular sides in the 1,094-athlete strong Phl delegation, the least fancied squad in the lean four-team field as Singapore opted to withdraw two months before the 30th staging of the region’s sporting meet.

That also makes the Nationals’ mission a lot tougher since each game is a must-win, the format being a single round with the top two clashing for the gold medal and the two others fighting it out for the bronze.

But the Pinays vow to fight to the finish and nail the elusive medal of any color.

They face the Vietnamese at 6 p.m., take on the Thais Thursday, also at 6 p.m., before mixing it up with the Indonesians on Saturday. The finals will be played Monday. 

“We prepared hard for this,” said Valdez, also hopeful of finally netting a medal in her third SEAG stint. “We want our countrymen to be proud not only because we played and fought but also because we won and produced a medal for the country.”

She admitted playing before home fans is an added pressure, not just for the team but more so individually, saying: “This is a big responsibility and we have to return the trust and support given to us by every Filipino by giving our best shot.”