Army, Ateneo banner V-League SEA Club field

MANILA, Philippines—Shakey’s V-League champions Army and Ateneo will banner the Philippines’ bid in the four-team V-League Southeast Asian Club Invitational slated Oct. 27 at the FilOil-Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Army, which ruled the Open Conference of Season 8 last month and Ateneo, the champion in the First Conference,  will slug it out with teams from Vietnam and Malaysia in the four-day tournament backed by Shakey’s Pizza and organized by Sports Vision.

Vietnam, the silver medalist in the SEA Games in 2009, will be backstopped by two Russian players, while Malaysia will bring in the core of the team that will see action in the SEA Games in Indonesia, giving Army and Ateneo a stern test in the single-round event.

Army boasts  national players Tina Salak, Michelle and Mayette Carolino, Mary Jean Balse and Jen Reyes and former Far Eastern U star Rachelle Anne Daquis.

Led by Alyssa Valdez, Fille Cainglet, Angeline Gervacio and Gretchen Ho, Ateneo will be parading the team that will vie in the UAAP tournament in November.

Representing Vietnam is the Vietsovpetro squad powered by Russian six-footers Trernai Anactaxi and Martynova Ekoterina.

“This tournament will somehow gauge the progress of women’s volleyball in the country which we’ve been helping to develop through the staging of the Shakey’s V-League,” said Moying Martelino of the organizing Sports Vision.

Two matches will be played each day starting at 2 p.m. with the second game set at 4 p.m.