A mix of veterans and young guns will fly the flag for the Alas Pilipinas women’s national volleyball team in the AVC Nations Cup slated to begin on Saturday, June 7, in Vietnam.
Old and new faces will represent the country in the week-long tourney as the Jorge Souza de Brito-mentored Alas women’s team eyes redemption.
Veteran setter Jia Morado leads the 16-women squad along with pros Eya Laure, Dawn Catindig, Vanie Gandler, Jen Nierva, Thea Gagate, Dell Palomata, Julia Coronel, Leila Cruz and Fifi Sharma.
Alas will also have promising talents in three-time UAAP MVP Bella Belen, Angel Canino, Alyssa Solomon, Camilla Lamina and newcomers Cla Loresco and reigning UAAP Rookie of the Year Shaina Nitura.
Expected to promptly make an impact for the national team is Nitura who made noise in her rookie year.
Nitura of Adamson University had multiple 30-point games in her rookie year in that included a league record 371 total points—the highest scoring output in a season across all divisions.
The Philippines is vying to surpass a historic bronze medal finish in the joust, formerly known as the AVC Challenge Cup.
Alas, currently 52nd in the FIVB world rankings, is grouped with last year’s first runner-up and world No. 31 Kazakhstan, No. 54 Indonesia, No. 57 Iran, and first-timers Mongolia and New Zealand in the Pool B.
Pool A, on the other hand, consists of defending champion and world No. 32 Vietnam, No. 45 Chinese Taipei, No. 53 India, No. 55 Australia, and No. 60 Hong Kong.
The Nationals will start their campaign against Mongolia before taking on Indonesia the following day and Iran on Monday, June 9.
They will return to action on Wednesday, June 11 against New Zealand, before winding up there eliminations drive against Kazakhstan.
