By MARK REY MONTEJO
Veteran Kim Kianna Dy and rookie sensation Sam Cantada are set to headline the Philippine National Volleyball Federation’s (PNVF) newest 27-player pool for the upcoming AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup slated June 6 to 14 in Candon City, Ilocos Sur.
According to the PNVF list released Monday, April 27, Dy, one of the stars of PLDT in the PVL, and Cantada, who is soon-to-be crowned Season 88 Rookie of the Year, are set to join a pool of players from the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), UAAP, and NCAA, with Alyssa Solomon as the lone hitter competing overseas.
They will all try to impress the coaching staff, including Alas Pilipinas head coach Tai Bundit as the selection process is likely to begin next month.
Dy, 30, is no stranger to national duties, having donned the tricolor since 2015, while the 18-year-old Cantada looks for her first Philippine team stint in seniors level with her NU teammate libero Shaira Jardio, Far Eastern University veterans Tin Ubaldo and Jazz Ellarina, and University of the Philippines’ Niña Ytang.
Other collegiate stars in the list are Shai Nitura of Adamson, NU’s Arah Panique, and De La Salle’s troika of Angel Canino, Shevana Laput, and Amie Provido.
All of them are in the league’s stepladder round with the Lady Spikers awaiting their rivals after advancing outright to the finals on account of their 14-game sweep of the elims.
Also in the radar are Creamline’s Jia De Guzman and Jen Nierva, Osaka’s Alyssa Solomon, Capital1’s Bella Belen, Cignal’s Vanie Gandler, PLDT’s Alleiah Malaluan, Choco Mucho’s Eya Laure, and Akari’s Mars Alba, Justine Jazareno, Fifi Sharma, and Maddie Madayag. Cignal’s Erika Santos, Galeries Tower’s Jean Asis, and ZUS Coffee’s Riza Nogales are also named in the pool.
NCAA bets College of St. Benilde’s Zam Nolasco and Letran’s Vanessa Sarie, who both starred in the NCAA Season 101 Finals, where the Lady Knights emerged as champion, are included as well in the pool.
The De Guzman-led squad, which had a breakthrough bronze and finals appearance in the last two editions, aims to improve its finish in the continental showpiece, which features 12 countries which will be divided into two pools.
The host and world No. 46 Philippines is bracketed in Pool A together with Chinese Taipei (37), South Korea (40), Kyrgyzstan (62), Australia (73), and Uzbekistan (87), while Pool B is bannered by reigning champion Vietnam (28) with Kazakhstan (35), Iran (47), Indonesia (70), Hong Kong (81), and Lebanon.
