PH now legitimate threat for SEA Games volleyball gold

June 17 ------ If there’s one thing glaringly clear after a week of skirmishes in the AVC Women’s Nations Cup in Vietnam is that the Philippines has announced its coming as a legitimate volleyball power. So the silver medal that the Filipinos settled for after a 25-15, 25-17, 25-14 beating at the hands of the Vietnamese at Dong Anh Arena in Hanoi last Saturday certainly glitters like gold—and for sure, is making their Southeast Asian neighbors take a second look at them from hereon. “The Philippine team delivered a remarkable performance,” Vietnam coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet said through an interpreter after their win late Saturday night. “The Philippines will undoubtedly be a serious contender later this year in the Southeast Asian Games.”

A marathon five-set win against Chinese Taipei in the semifinals last Friday night obviously had the Filipinos coming in fatigued for the gold medal match, but team skipper Jia De Guzman knows that Team PH is on the right track towards achieving a lifelong dream of dominating the region. “It means everything, honestly, because it’s hard to see the growth of the sport and our team without the result,” De Guzman said. “We didn’t expect to get a silver coming into this tournament. We just knew that we had to give our best because last year we got the bronze.”

De Guzman was adjudged the best in her position for the second straight edition, and improving a rung as a team from the last time definitely proves that everyone on the squad is doing things right. And that going all the way is the next target. “This silver inspires us to go back to training and keep working together as a team and to keep going for this long-term program because, slowly but surely, we’re rising as a country,” said the 30-year-old playmaker.

Source: inquirer.net