By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) announced that the official roster that will represent the country in the upcoming 2022 Southeast Asian Games will be composed of professional players joining the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).
Odjie Mamon will still be the team’s chief orchestrator while Brazilian legend Edson Souza de Brito will be the team’s consultant heading into the 2022 SEAG.
However, the 31st SEAG scheduled from May 12-23 in Hanoi, Vietnam will have a conflict among the eyed collegiate members of the national team.
Earlier, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) announced that they are targeting May 15-June 30 as their resume of the halted games amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The recent development will then keep former national team members Eya Laure, Imee Hernandez, Bernadette Pepito, Faith Nisperos, Kamille Cal, Mhicaela Belen, Ivy Lacsina, Alyssa Solomon, and Jennifer Nierva out of the national team due to their commitment to their UAAP schools.
“Most of the players will be 95-percent from the PVL because yung mga UAAP players natin are not available. The UAAP is holding its tournament from February to May so tatama sa SEA Games,” explained PNVF president Ramon Suzara.
Despite the announcement from the PNVF, the PVL management is yet to confirm if they will allow all selected players to join the national pool.
The PVL are also contemplating whether to kick off their Open Conference this February or move it to a later date, a crucial decision that can affect the PNVF’s plan.
“I will respect whatever their decision is because we already set the calendar. If February sila, the Open Conference was scheduled to end on April 9. Then after that, the national team will head to Brazil for a three-week training camp. That is already the original plan. The Brazil training, we are just finalizing it,” added Suzara.
