Pocari import Rivers gets clearance in time for PVL Finals

Pocari Sweat import Krystal Rivers awaiting updates on her ITC. Photo by Bong Lozada

Krystal Rivers had to wait until the last semifinals game in the Premier Volleyball League before she got to wear her Pocari Sweat jersey, but the former University of Alabama middle blocker still had to sit it out.

The Lady Warriors were in the middle of their Game 3 showdown against the Power Smashers Thursday at Philsports Arena when Rivers received her International Transfer Certificate at 6:51 pm but head coach Rommel Abella decided not to use the former Crimson Tide any longer.

“Going into the game I already knew she got her ITC but it would be unfair to the Power Smashers if we entered her in the last minute,” said Abella after his team swept the Power Smashers 25-19, 25-22, 25-21, in the decider. “So it’s just right that she sit this one first,”

Rivers, though, will be eligible to play in the finals against Bali Pure come Saturday.

During the semis game, the 5-foot-11 import wanted to see a copy of her ITC from the website of the FIVB, the world’s governing body of volleyball, but the volleyball information system (VIS) was down.

The league got e-mail from Carlo Roberto de Assis, the FIVB International Transfer Coordinator, coursed through Peter Cayco, the vice president of the Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas, saying that “seeing that the FIVB VIS has not solved the problem yet, the FIVB permits the player Krystal Rivers to play for now.”

Rivers’ addition will be a big boost to the loaded Pocari Sweat, which already has Myla Pablo and import Michelle Strizak, in the best-of-three finals series.