Acaylar, Vicente named national volleyball team head coaches

MANILA, Philippines — The Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas Inc. has named Francis Vicente and Sammy Acaylar as the new women's and men's coaches of the national volleyball teams bound for the 29th Southeast Asian Games set August 19-31 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Joey Romasanta, the karatedo chief who is back as LVPI president after taking a leave of absence, made the announcement after receiving a recommendation from the three-man search committee composed of Arellano U's Peter Cayco, University of the East's Rod Roque and Perpetual Help's Jeff Tamayo.

Acaylar has gained the nod being one of the country's most title coaches.

In his decades-long stint as Perpetual Help coach, Acaylar steered the Las Pinas-based school to 10 men's and three women's championships in the NCAA.

He was also coach when the Altas went on a record 54-game winning streak from 2010 to 2014 in the NCAA.

Interestingly, Acaylar was part of the coaching staff when the country struck gold in women's volleyball in the 1993 SEAG in Singapore.

For Vicente, he has coached the national youth women's team in two international tournaments last year.

He was also coach of the University of the East when it won a game last UAAP season and ending a 58-game losing skein.

The national teams are expected to hold tryouts soon.

Multi-titled Roger Gorayeb and Ateneo mentor Oliver Almandro coached the last national women's and men's teams in the Singapore SEAG two years ago, but those squads were abolished right after the biennial meet.

LVPI has never formed a national pool until it finally decided to form the team now for the SEAG.