The Philippine women’s volleyball team’s victory against Hong Kong proved that we have the talent—but not the experience—to get back to the world stage
Photo courtesy of the Asian Games
Coming off back-to-back losses in their first Asian Games campaign in more than three decades of non-participation, the Philippine women’s volleyball team bounced back big time with their first win in 36 years against Hong Kong, 25-18, 25-21, 25-22 to boost their chances of securing a quarterfinals berth.
The straight-sets win meant a lot. It was momentous for both the team’s presence in their bracket considering they were down 0-2 as well as for the future of the country’s current volleyball state.
Before traveling to Indonesia, Alyssa Valdez, Jia Morado, and the rest of the squad assembled for the 18th Asian Games knew that the odds are not in their favor given the Philippines’ last exposure in the competition in 1982 when the Philippines wound up fifth.
Before winning their last match against host country India, the Philippines suffered straight-set losses in their first four games against Japan, China, South Korea, and North Korea. After that, the Philippines did not participate in the women’s volleyball tournament in the past nine Asian Games until this year.
“The talent is there, you all saw that we can play with them, but our inexperience playing together as a team told heavily in the end,“ Alyssa Valdez told the Inquirer after their loss against Thailand
The Asian Games volleyball tournament has since been dominated by powerhouse teams such as South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and China—and on their return, the Philippines’ inexperience showed as they suffered lopsided losses from Thailand and Japan.
But heading into their pivotal encounter against Hong Kong—whom they also beat in last year’s AVC Asian Senior Women’s Championship—the team knew they had the edge. Facing super teams first was also a great opportunity to adjust to the international stage and pick up lessons throughout their match.
One thing stood out and was certain in the Philippines’ first two setbacks: The volleyball giants of Asia have programs that shape them as the well-refined team they are today. As for the Philippines, the team’s preparation was shaky, similar to what the men’s basketball team had gone through—lost players to injury, switched coaches, and limited preparation at their camp in Japan.
But just two games in before dominating Hong Kong, the Philippine women’s volleyball team seemed to have learned their lessons. In their match against the Thais, the Pinays led by as much as seven points in the first set, but the team couldn’t sustain their 9-2 start as the former turned the tables. As apparent as it was, the lack of consistency cost them their matches. They also committed a lot of service errors, shaky receptions, and no answers to the Thai defense.
What many people don’t realize is that the Philippines’ return to the Asian Games is just a step towards the goal of leaving a mark in the international stage in the coming years
Not wanting to repeat the same mistakes, the team started and finished strong with a three-set victory over Hong Kong. The Hong Kong nationals were knocking on the Philippines’ doors late in the second and third sets, but the team, led by Valdez and Jaja Santiago who were in their winning form, unloaded 45 kills and took advantage of the opposing team’s unstable reception as they fired 11 aces.
Before flying to Jakarta, the team faced criticism from people saying their chances of winning or even landing a podium finish were far from happening. But what many people don’t realize is that the country’s return to the Asian Games is just a step towards the goal of leaving a mark in the international stage in the coming years. The team is eyeing a finish in the upcoming SEA Games.
“The talent is there, you all saw that we can play with them, but our inexperience playing together as a team told heavily in the end,“ Valdez told the Inquirer after their loss against Thailand.
Head coach Shaq delos Santos also kept an optimistic mindset despite the losses they endured in the country’s long-awaited return to the international stage.
“This is a good experience for us because we know we can beat Thailand, but we’re still in the process of rebuilding and hopefully, our performance improves as we go along,“ delos Santos told in the same interview.
The Philippine women’s volleyball team’s grit and consistency will once again be put to the test as another tough task from host country Indonesia, powered by hard-hitter Aprilia Manganang, awaits them this Saturday.