The Philippine women’s volleyball team faces a daunting task to kick off the 2023 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games semifinal, as it takes on 12-time defending champion Thailand on Saturday, May 13, 6 pm (Manila time).
Absent from the podium since the 2005 Manila SEA Games, the Philippines will lean on its array of capable offensive weapons like Mylene Paat, Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza, and Kat Tolentino to lead the upset effort.
Team captain and Philippine flag bearer Alyssa Valdez is also finally available to play for the first time since her December 2022 knee injury, and will surely provide a moral boost, if not an on-court one.
Go big or go home for Alyssa Valdez and Team Philippines against 13-time defending champion Thailand in the SEA Games.
However, Thailand is closing in on three decades of unhindered dominance over the region and has shown no signs of slowing down, if its undefeated elimination round run is any indicator.
Win or lose, the Philippines is still on pace for a medal finish, and any improvement will certainly be a welcome one for the popular, but stagnant program.