Jaja Santiago and the Foton Tornadoes, champions in the 2015 Philippine Superliga Grand Prix, will represent the country in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Asian Women’s Club Championship in Manila next year. VOLLEYBALL PH PHOTO
By ADRIAN STEWART CO
MANILA – Newly-crowned 2015 Philippine Superliga Grand Prix champion Foton Tornadoes has been tapped to represent the Philippines in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Asian Women’s Club Championship in Manila next year.
Philippine Superliga (PSL) president Ramon Suzara said Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc. (LVPI) has officially named the Tornadoes as the country’s team in the tournament, which is being participated by Japan, China and Thailand, after winning the Grand Prix crown.
“PSL has what it takes to send a strong team,” Suzara said. “The PSL Grand Prix served as the qualifier for the Asian Women’s Club Championship here in Manila next year.”
Led by Lindsay Stalzer, Kathleen Messing and Jaja Santiago, the Tornadoes clinched the PSL Grand Prix crown with a 25-18, 25-18, 25-17 win over the Blaze Spikers in Game 3 of best-of-three finals on Saturday at Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
Also in the Tornadoes lineup are Angeli Araneta, Kayla Tiangco-Williams, Fatima General, Ivy Perez, Kara Acevedo, May Macatuno, Ivy Remulla, Royce Estampa, Bacolodnon Patty Orendain and Ilonggas Fiola Ceballos and Jeannie de los Reyes.
During the 2015 edition of the AVC tournament in Vietnam in October, the 2014 PSL Grand Prix titlist Petron Blaze Spikers-Philippines finished eighth out of nine teams. The squad’s lone win in the tournament came at the hands of Iran, 25-8, 25-16, 25-23.
Meanwhile, Suzara also bared that aside from the AVC tourney, the Philippines is also gunning to stage the FIVB World Women’s Club Championship here next year with a potential venue at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
“Next year will be a very exciting year for Philippine volleyball,” Suzara said. “Rest assured that we are doing everything to bring world-class volleyball action to the country to further increase the level of competition and popularity of the sport.”/PN