Ateneo’s Valdez banners PHL’s Asian U-23 squad

MANILA, Philippines – Ateneo hotshot Alyssa Valdez will lead a crack Philippine team representing the country in the Asian Under-23 Women's Volleyball Championship slated May 1 to 9 at three venues – MOA Arena, Cuneta Astrodome and Philsports Arena.

"Alyssa (Valdez) along with Bea de Leon and Jia Morado will play for the national team," said Ateneo manager and Shakey's V-League representative Tony Liao.

Valdez, one of the best and most popular volleyball players in the country today, will spearhead a team that landed on the "Group of Death" after it drew Iran and Kazakhstan in Group A.

The Filipinas will battle Iran right on opening day and will clash with Kazakhstan the next day before taking a bye on May 3, with the top two teams per group advancing to the knockout quarterfinal round.

Aside from Valdez, Morado and de Leon, the team will also be composed of National University's Jaja and Dindin Santiago, Far Eastern University's Tin Agno and San Sebastian's Alyssa Eroa.

The rest will be picked from the current pool of 20 coming from the UAAP, NCAA, Shakey's V-League and Philippine Super Liga.

Sources said La Salle's Mika Reyes, Kim Fajardo and Ara Galang were invited but have not replied.

The team, which will be coached by NU's Roger Gorayeb and Perpetual Help's Sammy Acaylar, is eyeing to win this tournament, which stakes just one slot to the Asian U-24 Women's Championship in Ankara, Turkey from  Aug. 12-19.

China, which ruled the 17th Asian Women's U20 Volleyball Championship, was drawn in Group B together with India and Macau while Japan settled in Group C with Chinese Taipei and Maldives.

Group D, meanwhile, will be consisted of Southeast Asian superpower Thailand, South Korea and Uzbekistan.

Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Shanrit Wongprasert supervised the ceremony together with AVC development and marketing director Ramon "Tats" Suzara and newly-recognized Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc. (LVPI) president Joey Romasanta, who vowed to send the best and the brightest young players in this highly-competitive tournament.

"Rest assured that we will be sending our best players," said Romasanta, moments after Wongprasert gave the formal recognition to LVPI from both the AVC and FIVB.

"I have already seen the list prepared by Roger and Sammy and all the big names in collegiate volleyball are there. We're really looking forward to a successful hosting of this tournament."

Suzara, the former Philippine Amateur Volleyball Association secretary-general and current Philippine Superliga president, said the short period of preparation could work against the Filipinos, but their fighting heart and, of course, home court advantage could pull them through.

"This is a historic day for the Philippine volleyball since the country is pioneering the most prestigious tournament for the best U23 in the Asian region,”  Suzara said. "We, Filipinos, have a never-say-die attitude. Our oppositions could be taller and more powerful than us, but I expect the players to come up with a good fight since the crowd will be their side. It's going to be an exciting tournament, that's for sure."