Push Admin

Regardless of composition, preparation is key for women's team: Gonzaga

Article (news)

Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/life/08/06/20200806-jovelyn-gonzaga.jpg"/></figure></div><p>MANILA, Philippines -- Preparation will still be the most crucial factor for the women&#x27;s national volleyball team, regardless of who makes the final roster for the 2021 Southeast Asian Games.</p><p>This, according to veteran spiker Jovelyn Gonzaga who was among the 40 players invited by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) to try out for the indoor team.</p><p>Gonzaga ultimately decided to forego her slot in the indoor to <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/04/22/21/jovelyn-gonzaga-wont-try-out-for-indoor-volleyball-national-team">focus instead on beach volleyball</a>, but the multi-awarded spiker remains invested in the women&#x27;s team which features plenty of her former teammates and friends.</p><p>Speaking to Migs Bustos and Cesca Litton-Kalaw on &quot;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/114454093651203/videos/376241387037035">Off the Record</a>,&quot; Gonzaga expressed her excitement for the squad but also stressed that they need time to get ready for the SEA Games.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s a matter of preparation talaga,&quot; said Gonzaga, who suited up for the Philippines in the 2015 and 2019 SEA Games in Singapore and Manila, respectively. &quot;Para sa akin, kahit sino man &#x27;yung ipasok nila, kahit sino man ang ilagay nila sa training pool, sa lineup, once na may enough preparation, makikita&#x27;t makikita talaga natin &#x27;yung result.&quot;</p><p>The federation recently held tryouts in Subic but only 16 of the 40 players they invited for the indoor women&#x27;s team attended. Of the 16, nine were student-athletes. </p><p>The PNVF said these 16 players are now provisionally included in the national team pool for the SEA Games.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/04/28/21/volleyball-santiago-marao-headline-pnvfs-one-day-tryouts">READ: Santiago, Maraño headline PNVF&#x27;s one-day tryouts</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/04/28/21/volleyball-no-tryout-no-national-team-tats-suzara-pnvf">READ: Players who missed tryouts won&#x27;t make national team, PNVF&#x27;s Suzara insists</a></li></ul><p>Gonzaga, who is hoping to make it to the national beach volleyball team herself, is hopeful that the indoor team will be given more time to prepare this time around.</p><p>&quot;Mostly, two to three months &#x27;yung preparation natin,&quot; she noted.<br/>&quot;Ngayon, puwede nang seven months, makakapag-prepare na tayo. So kung magtuloy-tuloy lang talaga &#x27;yun, &#x27;yung mix ng seniors at ng juniors, magiging maganda &#x27;yung outcome,&quot; she added.</p><p>PNVF President Ramon &quot;Tats&quot; Suzara has previously proposed a seven-month camp for the national team ahead of the SEA Games. Ricky Palou, president of the Premier Volleyball League, also said the national team can <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/02/21/volleyball-national-team-training-pvl-bubble">keep training</a> even while the PVL season is ongoing.</p><p>The women&#x27;s team had missed the podium in the 2019 SEA Games, finishing last in a four-team field. The Philippines&#x27; last medal in women&#x27;s volleyball came in 2005, when they won bronze.</p><p>Meanwhile, Gonzaga said in a separate interview on &quot;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64Z8f7UR4nk&amp;ab_channel=OnePH">The Chasedown</a>&quot; that she respects those who opted not to attend the brief tryout in Subic. Among those who declined the invitation were national team mainstays like Alyssa Valdez, Jia Morado, Kim Fajardo, and Dawn Macandili.</p><p>Morado, in a <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/01/21/volleyball-jia-morado-explains-why-she-skipped-natl-team-tryouts">statement</a>, explained that concern over the federation&#x27;s health and safety protocols as well as the COVID-19 pandemic in general prompted her to beg off the tryouts.</p><p>&quot;Hindi naman nila owe sa akin mag-explain, pero ayaw kong maging biased sa take ko, and alam ko naman and naniniwala ako na most of them naman naging teammates ko sa national team eh,&quot; Gonzaga said.</p><p>&quot;I believe naman na may sarili silang reason kung bakit hindi sila nakapunta, and I respect that.&quot;</p><div><strong>Related video:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1676890" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Preparation will still be the most crucial factor for the women's national volleyball team, regardless of who makes the final roster for the 2021 Southeast Asian Games.</p>

Preparation will still be the most crucial factor for the women's national volleyball team, regardless of who makes the final roster for the 2021 Southeast Asian Games.

Regardless of composition, preparation is key for women's team: Gonzaga

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Sports

Regardless of composition, preparation is key for women's team: Gonzaga

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 06, 2021 01:49 PM PHT

Read More:

volleyball

Philippine National Volleyball Federation

national volleyball team

Tats Suzara

Jovelyn Gonzaga

PNVF

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.