Creamline’s skipper Alyssa Valdez will sit out the AVC Women’s cup slated on August 21-29 at the Philsports Arena due to dengue and will be replaced by teammate Rizza Mandapat according to PVL commissioner Tony Boy Liao.
Asian Volleyball Confederation Cup- bound Creamline Cool Smashers will miss Alyssa Valdez’ services as she is ruled out for the competition due to dengue, two days before the opening match as confirmed by Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) national teams commission head Tony Boy Liao on Friday, August 19.
The 2022 AVC Cup for Women is set to be hosted by the country from August 21 to 29 at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
“Just confirmed with Coach Sherwin (Meneses) that Alyssa’s missing out the whole tournament,” Liao said in a text message.
Reports said Valdez got the dengue after a much-deserved vacation in Palawan with her celebrity friends recently and is being treated now.
Liao then bared that Rizza Mandapat was inserted back to the lineup as replacement for Valdez.
“The team will be made up of all Creamline players. They had 16 players but only 14 can be fielded in the tournament. They took out Mandapat & Bernardo. Now without Alyssa, Rizza Mandapat will replace her,” the PVL commissioner said.
The 29-year-old spiker was supposed to be the captain of the PWNVT in the continental meet and will represent the Philippines together with Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza, Risa Sato, Ced Domingo, Jeanette Panaga, Michele Gumabao, Ella de Jesus, Pau Soriano, Kyla Atienza, Kyle Negrito, Rose Vargas and Fille Cayetano.
Meanwhile their decorated setter, Jia Morado and head coach Sherwin Meneses have been put under health and safety protocols and will be a game-time decision as the team is set to battle the Vietnamese, the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games silver medalist team, on Sunday as they open their campaign.
The national team will then face China on Tuesday, Iran on Wednesday, before wrapping their pool play round against Korea on Tuesday.
Creamline is hoping to finish in the top four in Pool A to be able to advance to the quarterfinals as the fifth-placed team in Pool A will automatically finish in ninth place.
In Pool B, only four teams will meet in the first round, Japan, Thailand, Chinese-Taipei, and Australia, as Kazakhstan has withdrawn from the tournament on Tuesday.