Philippine volleyball rosters for Asian Club Championships known

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) has released the rosters for the three teams set to represent the country in the upcoming Asian Women's and Men's Club Volleyball Championship.

Set to unfurl in Thailand come October, two women's teams and one men's team will be seeing action for the country's first international volleyball tournament since the 2019 SEA Games in Manila.

Rebisco will have both a men's squad and a women's squad while the other women's squad will banner the Choco Mucho brand.

PNVF President Ramon "Tats" Suzara made the rosters known on Tuesday.

For the women's teams, national team mainstay Aby Marano will be the team captain for Rebisco along with pro players Rhea Dimaculangan, Jema Galanza and Dindin Santiago-Manabat.

Rounding up the squad are youngsters Eya Laure, Faith Nisperos, Mhicaela Belen, Imee Herandez, Ivy Lacsina, Kamille Cal, Jeniffer Nierva and Bernadette Pepito.

Meanwhile, free agent Iris Tolenada will be the skipper for Choco Mucho.

She joins an all-pro squad that includes Kalei Mau, MJ Phillips, Tin Tiamzon, Kat Tolentino, Mylene Paat, Kianna Dy, Ria Meneses, Majoy Baron, Dell Palomata, Deanna Wong and Dawn Macandili.

Brazilian consultant-coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito will call the shots for Team Rebisco while Choco Mucho will be handled by Odjie Mamon.

The men's side, which will be coached by Dante Alinsunurin, is made up of skipper 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.

The Asian club tiff, according to Suzara, will be a good start for the newly laid-out national team program in anticipation of a busier 2022 schedule.

"With these club championships, we are putting in harness the national team program aimed at three major international competitions in 2022. 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 said.

The women's squads will begin their hostilities on October 1 and will run until the 7th, while the men's squad will open their campaign on October 8.