PH tackles Vietnam in AVC Cup

THE Creamline Cool Smashers-bannered Philippine staff opens its Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Cup for Ladies marketing campaign towards Vietnam on Sunday on the PhilSports Area in Pasig Metropolis.

The match is about at 7 p.m.

Within the 2018 version of the AVC Cup for Ladies, the final event held earlier than the biennial tourney was shelved for 4 years because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Philippines and Vietnam completed fifth and ninth, respectively.

Now, each international locations are desirous to eclipse what they’ve achieved in 2018.

Creamline-Philippines, nonetheless, is not at full power on Sunday, as it is going to be with out its star and captain Alyssa Valdez, who will miss your complete tourney as a result of dengue.

In the meantime, setter Jia Morado and coach Sherwin Meneses are a game-time choice as they have been put beneath well being and security protocols.

With Valdez out, a lot of the scoring load might be positioned upon the shoulders of PVL Open and Invitational Conferences MVP Tots Carlos. Nonetheless, the Cool Smashers’ lineup are not any pushovers in any respect, serving a robust assist forged for Valdez and Carlos on this 12 months’s Open and Invitational Conferences the place the staff got here out on high.

Composing the staff are Kyle Negrito, Fille Cayetano, Rose Vargas, Jema Galanza, Celine Domingo, Risa Sato, Jeanette Panaga, Pau Soriano, Michele Gumabao, Ella de Jesus and Kyla Atienza in addition to Rizza Mandapat, who was chosen as alternative for Valdez.

“We’re contemporary from our event, we’re one staff, we’re one skilled staff, we have been chosen after profitable the championship of our native league, we have already jelled and know one another — [those are] our benefit within the tourney,” mentioned Gumabao.

Sato and Galanza have been additionally teammates with Valdez and de Guzman within the 2018 AVC Cup in Thailand.

In the meantime, Vietnam’s lineup has but to be revealed by the organizers at press time.

The Philippines is in Group A with Vietnam, Iran, South Korea, and China. Group B groups are Japan, Thailand, Chinese language-Taipei and Australia.

The highest eight groups after the pool play will advance to the quarterfinals.