SIBU: The Sarawak International Volleyball Invitation (SIVI) 2026 has given Sarawak women’s volleyball head coach, Angela Tang, a clearer picture ahead of the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) to be held next month.
Blocking and dealing with taller opponents remain her biggest concerns.
Tang said the tournament provided an ideal platform for the Sarawak squad to assess themselves against stronger and more experienced opposition while fine-tuning preparations for their SUKMA title defence.
“As I said, this tournament is a good platform for our SUKMA team to test our chemistry and gain experience against players with different playing styles from other countries.
“It is also a good opportunity for our players to learn new tactics,” she told Sarawak Tribune at the Sibu Volleyball Indoor Stadium recently.
The tournament featured strong opposition allowing the young Sarawak side to gain valuable international exposure.
The squad that competed at SIVI is almost identical to the one that will represent Sarawak at SUKMA, with 12 of the 13 players eligible for the Games. The players are aged between 16 and 21.
Despite finishing fifth, Tang was encouraged by her team’s performances and believes the experience gained will benefit the players moving forward.
“In this tournament, we played many strong teams and the matches were quite close. If the players continue to train harder, I believe they have the potential to go even further, even to the national team,” she said.
With only a month remaining before SUKMA, Tang said the coaching staff have already identified areas requiring immediate improvement.
“I think they played quite well in this tournament, but we also found some problems with our height and blocking. We still have one month, and I’m trying to fix those problems,” she said.
While acknowledging the challenges posed by taller opponents, Tang remains optimistic about the team’s prospects and believes the exposure gained from SIVI will help prepare the players for the intensity of SUKMA competition.
Confident in her players’ commitment and willingness to improve, she believes Sarawak will be ready to rise to the challenge when they begin the defence of their SUKMA title next month.
SIVI 2026 featured five teams – J Team Indonesia, NOVA Volleyball Club, Sarawak SUKMA, Spring Fox Selangor and Victory Volleyball Club from Hong Kong – bringing together 68 players for four days of competition at the Sibu Volleyball Indoor Stadium.
The tournament served as an important preparatory platform for the young Sarawak squad ahead of one of the biggest assignments on their calendar.
