MANILA – Volleybelles Alyssa Valdez and Julia Morado of Creamline Cool Smashers were not part of the national women’s volleyball team that will compete in the 2021 AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship in Thailand next month.
According to Philippine team head coach Odjie Mamon, the coaching staff headed by Brazilian consultant Jorge Edson Souza de Brito never considered Valdez or Morado when they called up for additional players in the national team pool.
“We have considered other players in the fray, but Alyssa Valdez and Jia Morado, were not included in Coach Jorge’s plans in the first place,” Mamon said in an interview with Ivan Suing, adding that Souza de Brito wanted much younger players when he formed the national team pool.
When asked why former University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses’ setter Rhea Dimaculangan is still in the lineup despite being 30, Mamon stated that Souza de Brito took exception to her.
“Souza de Brito really wants younger and taller players. But you would ask: ‘why is Rhea Dimaculangan in the squad even if she’s already 30?’ Those were considered before we even added players,” he added.
Valdez and Morado have both appeared in prior major international tournaments for the national women’s volleyball team, including the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games./PN
