4 vets beef up Foton-Philippines bound for Asian Club tilt

MANILA, Philippines - Four players from different Philippine Super Liga teams hope to provide the experience and poise for the Foton-Plipinas team vying in the Asian Women’s Club Championship this September in Laguna.

Aby Maraño, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Rachel Ann Daquis and Jen Reyes have been tapped as reinforcements for the Jaja Santiago-led Foton squad set up slug it out with the region’s top women’s club volley teams.

“We are taking our participation here very seriously and we believe that the addition of these four veterans will be a big help for our players, considering they have all played in previous editions of the tournament,” said team manager Alvin Lu.

The entry of last year’s Grand Prix MVP Lyndsay Stalzer and Ariel Usher are also tipped to further bolster the team’s chances for a Top Four finish, according to Lu.

Foton-Pilipinas head coach Vilet Ponce de Leon, meanwhile, said Maraño and company’s international playing experience will certainly help the young players in the team in coping up with the pressure of playing against strong foreign teams. She added that the four reinforcements also strengthened the team in their respective playing positions.