MANILA – Western Visayas-based players will banner the national U-17 girls volleyball team in the 14th Asian Women’s U-17 Volleyball Championships this June in Thailand.
National U-17 girls volleyball squad team manager Jose Montalbo said the members of the 14-player pool were selected from Bacolod City and Iloilo City due to familiarity and proximity.
“Because we are still in COVID-19 pandemic, we opted to select players who were closer to us here in Region 6,” Montalbo said in an interview with Panay News on Sunday.
“One of the positive things about this is most of them were already familiar with each other so adjustments and jelling will not be that much of a problem,” he added.
Leading the team were Bacolod Tay Tung High School standouts Kimberly Rubin, Dona Mae De Leon, Lana Madrigal, Jothea Ramos, Joenil Ramos, Caitlin Espinosa, Rhose Viane Almendralejo, Kc Delos Reyes, Rose Bulak, and Ana Francesca Hermosura.
Also in the team were Celine Marsh of Trinity Christian School, Rain Navarro of St. John’s Institute-Bacolod, Camila Bartolome of Huasiong College of Iloilo, and Mary Karylle Suplico of La Paz National High School.
Montalbo also said the squad were determined to represent the country well in Thailand that they already started their preparation over the weekend at a facility in Bacolod City.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for them to represent the Philippines in the international stage. So I am certain the girls will surely give their best and to make our country proud,” he said.
Montalbo was recently chosen by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon Suzara to oversee the creation of the national U-17 volleyball team.
Montalbo is known for his successful volleyball program with the Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts, which represented Western Visayas in Palarong Pambansa, Batang Pinoy and National PRISAA./PN
