Four players from Rebisco Philippines will be unavailable on opening day of the 2021 AVC Women’s Club Championship on Friday.
According to Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Tats Suzara, the four players – whose names were not revealed – have yet to complete “additional requirements for local health protocols.”
“The four players’ swab samples weren’t immediately cleared by local health authorities as the results were elevated to Bangkok where the main lab of Thai Dept of Disease Control is based,” said Suzara on the federation’s official website.
Originally composing Rebisco were Aby Marano, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Jema Galanza, Rhea Dimaculangan, Eya Laure, Faith Nisperos, Mhicaela Belen, Imee Hernandez, Ivy Lacsina, Kamille Cal, Jennifer Nierva, and Bernadette Pepito.
With this, Choco Mucho will have to lend two players to Rebisco to complete the minimum 10 players to complete a team. Kianna Dy and Majoy Baron will be the ones moving to Rebisco.
“You cannot have only eight players on a team which is bound to play so many number of matches,” Suzara said.
“It’s a sound decision to balance the team—besides, all of the athletes in Thailand are members of the national team.”
This would also mean that the rest of Choco Mucho, namely MJ Phillips, Mylene Paat, Ria Meneses, Dell Palomata, Deanna Wong, Gel Cayuna, Iris Tolenada, Tin Tiamzon, Dawn Macandili, and Kalei Mau have all cleared the mandatory RT-PCR tests.
Choco Mucho faces Nakhon Ratchasima at 1:30 PM tomorrow. Meanwhile, Rebisco takes on Altay at 6:00 PM.