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BIÑAN CITY, Philippines (UPDATED)— The Philippine national women’s volleyball team opened the 19th Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship on a bright note, cruising past Hong Kong, 25-21, 25-16, 25-17 on Wednesday, August 9 at the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan City, Laguna.
Riding on built momentum after claiming a tight opening set, the national squad came out firing at the start of the second, outscoring their foes 17-8 in the offensive department to early on establish a double digit cushion.
Alyssa Valdez topscored for the Philippine team with 14 points, 13 coming off attacks.
Jaja Santiago likewise provided offensive firepower as she registered 13 markers on 11 spikes and 2 kill blocks, while Ces Molina and Kim Fajardo added 7 apiece on the board.
Wing Lam Chim had a team-high 7 points for Hong Kong, while Man Lee Cheung had 6.
The Philippine team, led by head coach Francis Vicente, are aiming for a spot in the quarterfinals which would in turn ensure them a ticket to the Asian Volleyball Cup in 2018.
The opening game also marks the start of a long and arduous journey for the national squad, as the same lineup will head straight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the 2017 Southeast Asian Games after the 14-nation tourney.
The team is bannered by skipper and former De La Salle University star Mika Reyes, and will continue to bank on the services of top spiker Valdez, Santiago, and playmaker Fajardo, among others.
The nationals will next face Kazakhstan in Pool A of the competition on Friday, August 11 also at the Alonte Sports Arena.
Veterans Jovelyn Gonzaga, Rhea Dimaculangan, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Ces Molina, Maika Ortiz, Gen Casugod, and current and former UAAP standouts Aby Maraño, Denden Lazaro, Kim Kianna Dy, and Dawn Nicole Macandili are also part of the meet’s roster.
Earlier in the day, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam all scored straight-set victories against New Zealand, Australia, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, respectively.
Chinese Taipei meanwhile prevailed over Iran in the only 4-set match of the opener, 25-15, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20.
Scores:
Philippines – Valdez 14, Santiago 13, Molina 7, Fajardo 7, Reyes 6, Maizo-Pontillas 5, Gonzaga 5, Maraño 1, Ortiz 1
Hong Kong – Chim 7, Cheung 6, Ip 5, To 4, Tsang 3, Yeung 3, Fung 2, Lam 1. – Rappler.com
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