By MARK REY MONTEJO
Games Sunday
(Philsports Arena, Pasig City)
10 a.m. – Taipower vs Hip Hing Women’s Volleyball Team
1 p.m. – Baic Motor Volleyball vs Iran Volleyball Club
4 p.m. – Creamline vs Al Nasr Club
7 p.m. – Queensland Pirates vs PLDT
For sure, volleyball fans will have a meaningful Easter Sunday, April 20, as Creamline and PLDT, two of the country’s established professional teams, begin their title bids in the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Determined to redeem themselves after a shock loss to the Petro Gazz Angels in the finals of the Premier Volleyball League’s All-Filipino Conference, the Cool Smashers clash with the Jordan-based Al Nassr Club at 4 p.m. looking ready to start a new journey.
The High Speed Hitters, a late entry and a wildcard in the tournament, also hope for a strong start when they battle Australia’s Queensland Pirates at 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Angels kickstart their AVC bid Monday, April 21, challenging Taipei’s top-notch team Taipower.
Chinese Taipei’s Taipower and Hong Kong’s Hip Hing Women’s Volleyball Team raise the curtain at 10 a.m., followed by the 1 p.m. tussle between China’s Baic Motor Volleyball and Iran Volleyball Club.
Creamline has fortified its roster ahead of the competition by tapping two reinforcements in Russian wing spiker Anastiya Kudryashova and Kazakh middle blocker Anastassiya Kolomoyets to join American Eric Staunton.
Their additions are expected to fuel the talent-laden group spearheaded by Tots Carlos, Alyssa Valdez, Jema Galanza, and Michelle Gumabao, who are all determined to give coach Sherwin Meneses a strong fight.
Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses believes his team has had enough time to recover from a grueling five-month PVL season and is ready to refocus on the continental stage.
“Siyempre, mga competitive kasi mga players. So, end of the day, siguro nag-iisip din yan. Pero, sa ngayon, nakabalik na sila sa kani-kanilang mga bahay (Of course, the players are competitive. So at the end of the day, they’re probably thinking about it too. But for now, they’ve already returned to their respective homes),” said Meneses.
“Hopefully, maka-recover sila. Pero I think mabilis makaka-recover yung team. Bawi na lang siguro sa ibang conference. AVC, I think, laging competitive naman yung Creamline (“Hopefully, they’ll recover. But I think the team will bounce back quickly. Maybe they’ll make up for it in another conference. As for the AVC, I think Creamline is always competitive there),” he added.
Meanwhile, PLDT coach Rald Ricafort shared his excitement as the High Speed Hitters prepare for their international debut, embracing the honor of representing the country and the club.
“We’re really excited for the privilege ng pag-represent ng PLDT at ng Pinas. Hopefully, sa first game namin, malabas agad namin ang laro namin at makuha ‘yung result na gusto namin. But for sure, marami kaming makukuhang experience at learning sa tournament na ‘to (We’re really excited for the privilege of representing PLDT and the Philippines. Hopefully, in our first game, we can immediately show our game and get the result we want. But for sure, we’ll gain a lot of experience and learning from this tournament,)” said Ricafort.
PLDT will lean on Cuban import Wilma Salas and Fil-Canadian Savi Davison, with Major Baron, Kianna Dy, Kath Arado and Mika Reyes anchoring the local attack. Their opponents, Queensland, feature top-tier talents including Australian Volleyball Super League All-Star Kylee White, national team player Emma Burton and rising star Scarlett Rudder.
The Angels have tapped 6-foot-2 American outside hitter Gia Day to join forces with MJ Phillips, Brooke Van Sickle, Chie Saet, and Remy Palma.
The tournament format divides the 12 teams into four pools of three. The top two squads in each group advance to the quarterfinals, where cross-pool matchups will determine the semifinalists: A1 vs D2, A2 vs D1, B1 vs C2, and B2 vs C1.
