MANILA, Philippines – Pro volleyball stalwart Tots Carlos won’t see action for Alas Pilipinas just yet.
National volleyball team head coach Jorge de Brito said the multiple-time PVL MVP has always been on his wishlist, but bared the development on Sunday, June 23, days after Alas beefed up its roster with hotshots Jema Galanza, Bella Belen, and Alyssa Solomon.
De Brito said Rebisco, the mother company of Carlos’ team Creamline, will announce Carlos’ official status soon.
“[Carlos] plays good. She’s always been the one we requested for us, for the national team,” De Brito said of Carlos, who played for the Philippines in the last two editions of the Southeast Asian Games.
“But at the moment, she’s not there. Rebisco will release something,” De Brito told reporters.
“What we’re expecting is to bring the guys who are really good at the same time.”
But even with Carlos out, Alas Pilipinas brought in major firepower in Creamline star Galanza, and NU Lady Bulldogs cornerstones Belen and Solomon.
The trio joins the Alas Pilipinas squad that won a historic bronze medal in the AVC Challenge Cup for Women where Angel Canino and Jia de Guzman starred last May.
Galanza had said her familiarity with the playmaking skills of Alas team captain and former Creamline teammate De Guzman, as well as the plays of De Brito, will help her ease into the team.
De Brito also said Alas has enough time to prepare for its knockout game against Southeast Asian neighbor Vietnam in the FIVB Challenger Cup in July, where a spot in the Volleyball Nations League Women is at stake.
“[There is] more time now that the guys are there together in practice. Since we have more time, we can now have better preparations,” said De Brito.
“The expectations are supposed to be always high, so we have to work really hard and not just stand there, waiting for the guys to repeat the performance [in the AVC Challenge Cup],” he continued.
“It’s always hard, but we’re prepared to go against Vietnam.” – Rappler.com
