Alas Pilipinas begins AVC Cup campaign

ALAS Pilipinas begins its AVC Challenge Cup for Women campaign against Australia at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum today.

Led by coach Jorge Souza de Brito and team captain Jia de Guzman, the Filipinos face the Aussies at 6 p.m.

Australia, ranked 10th in Asia and 59th in the world, was playing its first game of the tournament against Taiwan at press time on Wednesday evening.

Alas Pilipinas outside hitter Sisi Rondina (right). TMT FILE PHOTO

The debuting Philippines, on the other hand, is 12th in Asia and 63rd in the world.

With the home team hastily formed, captain and main setter de Guzman stressed the importance of communication for Alas that could somehow mitigate their short preparation for the tournament.

«We're very clear in our communication that we need adjustment. These adjustments would have to be made real time because we don't have a lot of time to train,» said de Guzman, an eight-time PVL Best Setter, who's guiding a team composed of PVL and UAAP players.

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«Lately, it's been three hours every day on court but that's very short. For example Julia [Coronel], the other setter in the team, she's more familiar with the sets of the young setters, and I'm more familiar with the sets of the seniors.

»The two of us are very clear in communicating, especially during overload setting drills that this is the type of set that this player wants, you can make it quick, you can set it higher, so we're very efficient that we don't want to waste time leading on to the AVC."

De Guzman and Coronel will be joined by La Salle's Angel Canino and Thea Gagate, and National University's Ara Panique as well as PVL standouts in Akari's Fifi Sharma and Faith Nisperos, Cignal's Dawn Macandili-Catindig and Vanie Gandler.

Choco Mucho's Sisi Rondina and Cherry Nunag, Chery Tiggo's Eya Laure and Jen Nierva complete the team.

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The Philippines is in Pool A which also has Taiwan, India and Iran. Pool B, on the other hand, is composed of defending champ Vietnam, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Alas, which looks to eclipse its 7th place finish last year, has to make the top two of Pool A after the single round-robin to advance to the semifinals.