BY ABBY TORALBA
ACE libero Kath Arado has begged off from the Philippine women’s volleyball team competing in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games next month in Cambodia due to injuries sustained in the recent PVL All-Filipino Conference.
This was confirmed by Philippine National Volleyball Federation national team committee chairman Tony Boy Liao as the national team continues to prepare for the biennial meet.
Arado, who donned the country’s tri-colors in the Vietnam SEA Games last yar, was a key player for the PLDT High Speed Hitters’ fourth place finish in the import-less tilt and was hailed as the Best Libero of the conference.
Arado, 24, will be replaced by Akari’s Bang Pineda.
Pineda will join Brazilian coach Jorge Souza de Brito, also her Chargers coach, and skipper Alyssa Valdez, Jia Morado, Diana Mae Carlos, Jema Galanza, Michele Gumabao, Kyla Atienza.
Also making up the squad are Mylene Paat, Kat Tolentino, Gel Cayuna, Glaudine Troncoso, Dell Palomata, and Cherry Nunag.
The Filipina belles will fly to Japan tomorrow for a two-week training camp.
The Philippine team is bracketed with Vietnam, host Cambodia and Singapore in Group B qualifying of the competition.
The national squad is eyeing to reach the podium and surpass its fourth-place finish in the last edition of the Games.
