BY ABBY TORALBA
THE Philippine women’s volleyball team, led by skipper Aiza Pontillas and former collegiate star Faith Nisperos, begins its campaign in the 2023 AVC Challenge Cup for Women today in Gresik, East Java, Indonesia.
The newly-formed but promising Filipina spikers test their mettle against Macau at Tridharma Petrokimia Gresik at 3 p.m. in Pool A action.
The team is a combination of pro and collegiate players, mostly first-timers in international tournaments, that will be led by coach Jorge Souza de Brito.
Six players from the Akari Chargers of the PVL were tapped to suit up in Nisperos, Bang Pineda, Michelle Cobb, Erika Raagas, Eli Soyud, and Ezra Madrigal, two spikers from the Petro Gazz Angels in Pontillas and Djanel Cheng, Shaya Adorador from Foton and Jules Samonte of PLDT.
Roma Doromal and AC Miner of Ateneo, together with University of the East’s Lia Pelaga and Riza Nogales, complete the line-up.
The players who represented the country in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia begged off from the competition to focus on the Invitational Conference of the PVL.
The country that will emerge victorious in the tournament will represent Asia in the FIVB Women’s Challenger Cup, a qualifier for the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League.
Pool B is composed of Iran, Hong Kong, and Chinese Taipei; Pool C has Australia and India, while Pool D is made up of Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Mongolia.
