Rebisco-PSL squad arrives in Kazakhstan

Ust Kamenogorsk school girls welcome the Rebisco PSL Manila at the airport today ahead of the Asian Women’s Club Championships here pic.twitter.com/4lG55bdhKt

— Marc Anthony Reyes (@marcreyesINQ) May 23, 2017

Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan—A tired, but fired-up Rebisco-PSL Manila squad arrived here Tuesday after a 35-hour flight from Istanbul to this laid-back town.

After disembarking from the grueling Turkish Airlines flight, team captain Rachel Anne Daquis said the team’s battle cry will be “big fighting heart,” amid the challenge of facing tough teams in the Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championships which starts Thursday.

The 14-player team, made up of the core of the newly formed Philippine team that will compete in the Southeast Asian Games, will battle clubs from Japan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Iran, Chinese Taipei and host Kazakhstan.

National head coach Francis Vicente refused to make a prediction—the country’s best finish here was 7th place out of the 12-team field last year—although he vowed to give SEAG rivals Vietnam and Thailand a good fight.

“But we will be a going all out here because we want to gauge the team,” said Vicente.

The team members are Daquis, Mika Reyes, Jaja Santiago, Aby Marano, Kim Fajardo, Denden Lazaro, Bia General, Lourdes Clemente, Maika Ortiz, Gen Casugod, Ces Molina, Aiza Pontillas, Rhea Dimaculangan and Jovelyn Gonzaga.

“This is the strongest team we have formed for this tournament,” said Philippine Superliga director Anna Tomas who joined the squad also backed up by Asics and GrandSports.

However, this marks the first time the country is sending an all-Filipino crew in a competition that allows imports.

Vicente quickly called for an evening practice right at the tournament’s venue, the spanking new Boris Alexandroc Sports Palace that sits at the town center near the Ulba river.