MANILA, Philippines — Twelve players from UAAP champions NU Lady Bulldogs compose the 14-member roster set to see action in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Cup for Women, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) confirmed on Saturday.
Unfurling on August 21 at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig, the Philippines will be bannered by Lady Bulldogs Ivy Lacsina, Bella Belen, Shaira Jardio, Evangeline Alinsung, Cess Robles, Sheena Toring, Jen Nierva, Nicole Mata, Alyssa Solomon, Camilla Lamina, Kamille Cal, and Joyme Cagande.
Only two in the roster — Jelai Gejaro of California Precision Sports and Trisha Genesis of Akari — are not from the Legarda-based squad.
The women's team will be under the tutelage of Brazilian coach Jorge Souza de Brito with assistant coaches Karl Dimaculangan and Cherry Macatangay.
Missing from the lineup are the likes of Faith Nisperos and Eya Laure who are reportedly nursing some injuries.
As part of its build up for the AVC Cup for Women, where the Philippines is bracketed with reigning champion China, South Korea, Vietnam, and Iran, the national team will be playing in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference as a guest team.
They step up after Japan's Kobe Shinwa Women's University team had to pull out due to health issues.
The AVC Cup for Women will pit nine of the top Asian teams, along with Philippines as the hosts, in the 7th edition of the tiff. It was initially slated in 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The Philippines faces Vietnam first on August 21.
China, who the Filipina volleybelles will clash with on August 23, has won five of the tournament's six editions.
Thailand is the only other country to win the tiff in 2012 in Almaty.