MANILA, Philippines – Foton Pilipinas will open its campaign in the 2016 Select Tuna Thailand Volleyball Championship against home team Sisaket on Wednesday night at the Wi Sommai Gym in Sisaket, Thailand.

Head coach Fabio Menta made it clear, however, that the final score will be the least among the team's concerns.

Instead, Menta said the priority is to give Foton Pilipinas a good idea on how it feels to compete at a higher level. The Italian coach was brought in to guide the team to at least a semifinal finish in the 2016 AVC Asian Women's Club Championship (AWCC) in September.

READ: Foton taps Italian coach for Asian Club Championship

"Today, as a new coach bringing in new ideas, the score is the last thing I am thinking of," said Menta. "I want to see the discipline and game plan, obsessive research of players trying to disrupt their game and team spirit."

"I want to keep in mind that our real opponent is not this team, but Hong Kong on the 3rd of September in the AWCC," he stressed.

The team landed in Sisaket late Sunday sans Jaja Santiago and Jovelyn Gonzaga, two players who will likely play a key role in their AWCC campaign. Santiago is currently attending to her school duties at National University, while Gonzaga, an enlisted member of the Philippine Army, failed to secure a travel permit.

Their absence is a huge blow, Menta admitted, even though the team will still feature imports Lindsay Stalzer and Ariel Usher as well as guest players Abigail Maraño and Jen Reyes aside from their mainstays.

"Not having these main players when you try to mechanize your movements is a major step back to your work," Menta lamented. "I have a big surprise for everybody, but trying it with only three days before such an important tournament is a gamble. That, we will have to take away."

Sisaket is composed of former and current members of the Thailand national team.

"Of course, this is Thailand, the No. 14 (team) in the world," said Menta. "Our main strategy is to slow them down and put them under pressure quick combinations of attacks."

After Sisaket, Foton Pilipinas will battle Bangkok Glass and Rungsit University in the preliminaries to determine its placing in the classification round.

For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.