Alyssa Valdez and Aby Marano
MANILA, Philippines – Aby Marano and Dindin Santiago-Manabat will join forces with former foe Alyssa Valdez in the Philippine women's volleyball team making its return to the Southeast Asian Games after a decade-long absence.
National team coach Roger Gorayeb told The STAR Tuesday night that Marano and Santiago-Manabat have given up their spots in the other Phl team seeing action in the Asian Seniors Championships slated May 20-28 in Beijing, China to join the squad in the biennial meet slated June 5-19 in Singapore.
"They want to play in the SEA Games," said Gorayeb of Marano and Manabat-Santiago in Filipino.
The union marked the first time that Marano, who played college ball for La Salle, Manabat-Santiago, a former National University standout, and Ateneo hotshot Valdez are playing side by side after the three did battle in many UAAP wars in the past.
Gorayeb said the team has started practice last Monday, just a couple of days after his Valdez-led team finished a solid seventh in the Asian Under-23 Championship at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Already reporting for practice were Valdez, Ateneo's Jia Morado and Denden Lazaro, Air Force's Rhea Dimaculangan and Maika Ortiz, Cagayan Valley's Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, NU's Jaja Santiago and San Sebastian's Gretchel Soltones.
Rachel Ann Daquis and Jovelyn Gonzaga, who are teammates at Army in the Shakey's V-League, have yet to join the team but have already informed Gorayeb they will play for the squad.
The team is eyeing to win its first medal in the SEAG since it snared a bronze medal in the 2005 Manila edition.
Source: Joey Villar of Philippine Star
