By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
The Philippine women’s volleyball team will be without superstar Alyssa Valdez when it opens its campaign in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Cup at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
The Creamline team captain was hospitalized recently due to dengue and is still recuperating, leaving the tournament with one of its biggest crowd drawers.
The ace spiker out of Ateneo reportedly got infected with dengue virus during a recent vacation in Palawan with some showbiz buddies.
Choco Mucho star Kat Tolentino is being eyed as a possible replacement for Valdez.
Valdez was one of the 14 Creamline players who were tapped by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation to represent the country in the AVC Cup after ruling the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference.
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 were the other members of the squad.
The Filipinas battle the Vietnamese, the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games silver medalists, Sunday, the Chinese, the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games gold medalists, Tuesday, the Iranians Wednesday and the Koreans, the Asiad silver winners, Thursday.
The national women’s team needs to finish in the top four in Pool A to qualify for the quarterfinals.
