MANILA – Abigail Maraño and Dell Palomata will lead two national women’s volleyball teams that will compete in the Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, from Oct. 1 to 7.
Ilongga Maraño will banner the Team Rebisco squad, along with Ejiya Laure, Jessica Galanza, Faith Nisperos, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Mhicaela Belen, Imee Hernandez, Ivy Lacsina, Rhea Dimaculangan, Kamille Cal, Jennifer Nierva, and Bernadette Pepito.
On the other hand, Aklanon Palomata was a part of Team Choco Mucho, alongside Iris Tolenada, Kalei Mau, Marjana Phillips, Ernestine Tiamzon, Kat Tolentino, Mylene Paat, Kianna Dy, Marivic Meneses, Mary Joy Baron, Deanna Wong, and Dawn Macandili.
Rebisco is in Group B, alongside Thailand’s Supreme Chonburi, Kazakhstan’s Altay Volleyball Club, and Iran’s Saipa, while Choco Mucho is in Group A together with Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima and Kazakhstan’s Zhetyssu.
Ramon Suzara, head of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation, said the division of the two teams was finalized at a meeting with Brazilian consultant coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito and national team coach Odjie Mamon.
Suzara also announced the players of the Dante Alinsunurin-coached Rebisco men’s volleyball squad that will compete in the Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship on Oct. 8 to 15 at the same venue.
They were John Vic de Guzman, Jessie Lopez, Ysay Marasigan, Rex Intal, Mark Alfafara, Nico Almendras, Kim Malabunga, Ish Polvorosa, Francis Saura, Manuel Sumanguid, Josh Retamar, Jao Umandal, Ricky Marcos, and JP Bugaoan.
“With these club championships, we are putting in harness the national team program aimed at three major international competitions in 2022,” Suzara said.
“These are the Asian Games in Huangzhou, Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam, and the Asian Senior Women’s Championship that we are hosting in May next year,” he added.
The women’s teams will depart for Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, on Sept. 27, while the men’s squad will go there on Oct. 4./PN
