The Philippine women’s volleyball team returns to take another crack at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games podium as it begins its campaign on Tuesday, May 9, 8:30 pm (Manila time) against host nation Cambodia.
Led by the country’s flag bearer and team captain Alyssa Valdez, the Philippines looks to hurdle a challenging opening match as thousands of Cambodians are expected to overwhelm the Olympic Complex Indoor Main Hall with defeaning hometown support.
However, that is the only sure thing so far as Cambodia has not fielded a women’s volleyball team in its nation’s history, per the Phnom Penh Post, which reported just last year that the country was just in its open tryouts stage.
Cambodia, however, has not spared any expense in its athlete naturalization spree, which has drawn the ire of Filipino fans and athletes alike.
For now, the women’s team will stick to what it knows best and lean on battle-tested veterans like Valdez, Jia de Guzman, Mylene Paat, and Tots Carlos to give the Philippines a winning head start.
The country has not sniffed the podium since the 2005 Manila SEA Games 18 years ago.