BACOLOD City – The national U-17 girls volleyball team are set to be tested in the one-day Bacolod Negros Legends Volleyball this March 5 at the Gonzaga Gym here.
Carrying the name Thunderbolts 2, this will be the first official tournament of the national squad composed mostly of volleybelles from Western Visayas.
“This tournament is a good test for the team, to determine kung hanggang saan na ang ability namin,” team manager Jose Montalbo said in an interview with Panay News on Wednesday.
“Some of the players we will face here are more experienced so it is a good opportunity to see how they play among each other inside the court,” he added.
Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts mentor Ian Macariola was tasked to handle the team with U-17 head coach Jerry Yee currently training the national U-19 squad in Nueva Vizcaya.
The national U-17 girls volleyball team is currently prepariNg for the 14th Asian Women’s U-17 Volleyball Championships slated this June in Uzbekistan.
Leading the national U-17 team were Thunderbolts’ Kimberly Rubin, Dona Mae De Leon, Lana Madrigal, Jothea Ramos, Joenil Ramos, Caitlin Espinosa, Rhose Viane Almendralejo, Kc Delos Reyes, Rose Bulak and Ana Hermosura.
Also in the team were Celine Marsh of Trinity Christian School, Zacchea Maganto of Central Philippine University, Camila Bartolome of Huasiong College of Iloilo and Mary Karylle Suplico of La Paz National High School.
The Thunderbolts 2 is one of the 13 teams in the competition aside from Thunderbolts 1, Asenso, La Carlota, Himamaylan, Hinigaran, Atayde USLS, LSIS, CSAB Alumni, Medyo Volleyball, Michael 1, Michael 2 and Michael 3.
After the one-day tournament in Bacolod City, Montalbo said that the national squad will also look to participate in local volleyball tournaments in Iloilo City and Aklan./PN
