MANILA – Negrense Angel Canino will banner the 16-player Alas Pilipinas national women’s volleyball team that will compete in the AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup later this week in Vietnam.
The De La Salle University Lady Spikers star will join forces with Mhicaela Belen and national team debutant Shaina Nitura in anchoring the offense for the Jorge Souza de Brito-mentored squad.
Aside from Canino, also hailing from Western Visayas in the national squad are Guimarasnon setter Camille Lamina and Aklanon middle blocker Dell Palomata.
Also part of the national squad are returnees Eya Laure and Vanessa Gandler along with two-time UAAP best opposite spiker Alyssa Solomon and Leila Cruz.
Aside from Lamina, also serving as setters are Jia de Guzman, and Julia Coronel, while manning the defense are liberos Dawn Macandili-Catindig and Jennifer Nierva.
Forming the middle blocker rotation apart from Palomata are PVL Rookie of the Year Thea Gagate, Mereophe Sharma, and Clarisse Loresco.
The Nations Cup will be the first of a series of competitions for Alas ahead of its long-awaited medal bid in the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand this December.
In June alone, the nationals will compete in two Vietnam-hosted tournaments starting with the Nations Cup where they were drawn in Pool B with Mongolia (June 7), Indonesia (June 8), Iran (June 9), New Zealand (June 11), and Kazakhstan (June 12)./PN
