Photos from PVL Media Bureau

MANILA – Seven of the Creamline Cool Smashers, including Alyssa Valdez, will be bannering the Philippine women’s volleyball team in the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia.

After a championship run in the PVL All-Filipino Conference, most of the Cool Smashers are shifting their focus to the opportunity to don the national colors in the biennial meet.

And they are hoping that their familiarity with each other, as well as head coach Sherwin Meneses’ system, will be beneficial in the SEA Games as they seek to end a long-standing medal drought of the country in the women’s volleyball.

Valdez will be joined by six of her teammates in the Cool Smashers. They are Jia De Guzman, Jema Galanza, Tots Carlos, Ced Domingo, Michele Gumabao, and Kyla Atienza.

“We just really want to play our best, lalong-lalo na kasama namin maglaro most of our teammates, so we’re really excited to play in the national team,” three-time PVL MVP Tots Carlos said.

They are also excited to showcase Philippine volleyball with other star players in different PVL teams.

Cignal’s Maria Angelica Cayuna and Glaudine Troncoso, PLDT’s Kathleen Faith Arado and Dell Palomata, Choco Mucho’s Cherry Rose Nunag and Katrina Mae Tolentino and Chery Tiggo’s Mylene Paat are completing the national team.

“We have seven players, so at least we can also share to them our culture, ‘yung happy-happy namin na mentality. Hopefully we can bring that and contribute to the national team,” Gumabao said.

Meneses is also included in the coaching staff of national team head coach Jorge Souza de Brito along with Cherry Rose Macatangay, trainer Raffy Mosuela, and strength and conditioning coach Grace Gomez.

“The team [is] laging open sa learnings and we’re under coach Jorge as well so we really have to listen to him kung ano yung sistema na gusto niya ipagawa sa amin and sana ma-apply namin and magawa namin sa mga games yung mga iti-training namin and yung mga trinaining namin for the past months,” Valdez continued.

Gumabao also said that they are ready for whatever challenges going into the SEA Games, adding that they are also excited to learn from different coaches.

“We’re just ready talaga kung ano ‘yung challenge and ano ‘yung hihingiin din sa amin, to be able to work with a new set of coaches and teammates. So pabor din sa amin, para maka-experience din kami ng mas maganda and mas mataas na level ng laro,” she said.

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