AVC Cup at RMC unwraps

MANILA, Philippines — Vietnam opens its title defense as it clashes with Hong Kong in the featured match of a heavy four-game bill ushering in the Asian Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup today at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The Vietnamese will try to replicate their feat a year ago when they swept all their games to rule the event held in Gresik in East Java, Indonesia as they launch their campaign against the Hong Kong spikers at 4 p.m.

Opening hostilities in the eight-day meet is the 10 a.m. showdown between Singapore and Kazakhstan followed by the 1 p.m. duel between India and Iran, which finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the meet’s last edition.

Capping the opening-day bill will be a tall Australia team against Chinese Taipei, who took the bronze a year ago, at 7 p.m.

Host Alas Pilipinas, coached by Jorge Souza de Brito of Brazil, will plunge into action tomorrow versus the Aussies at 7 p.m. with hopes of jumpstarting their campaign.

The Filipinas are bracketed in Pool A that includes Chinese Taipei, India and Iran while Pool B is composed of Vietnam, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The winner of this event will earn a spot to the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Challenger Cup that the country will also host from July 4 to 7 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

As host, Alas Pilipinas has earned a slot in the Women’s Challenger Cup, which will stake seats to the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Nations League.

Despite the limited time to prepare, the country has formed the best team it could assemble.