The Philippines’ Rebisco bowed to Thailand’s Supreme Chonburi, 11-25, 16-25, 16-25, for its second straight Pool B defeat in the 21st Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship campaign Saturday (Oct. 2) at the Terminal 21 competition hall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Dindin Santiago-Manabat, playing for the first time after missing last Friday’s (Oct. 1) opener, displayed flashes of brilliance in the third set but her effort was not enough for Rebisco to claim its first win in the continental club competition.
Rebisco failed to rebound from a 23-25, 13-25, 17-25 loss at the hands of Kazhakstan’s Altay in the Pool B opener.
Mhicaela Belen, who had 13 points in her fearless senior debut, was held to a single point this time.
Faith Nisperos took the scoring mantle for Rebisco with eight points while Majoy Baron chipped in seven points.
Santiago-Manabat scattered five of her six points in the third set, while Kianna Dy also had six points for the Philippine side.
Ivy Lacsina, who along with Santiago-Manabat missed the opening match along with skipper Aby Maraño and Eya Laure, entered in the third set.
Captain Pleumjit Thinkaow had 12 points while Wipawee Srithong and Waranya Srilaoong each had 11 points for the Thais, who rose to a Pool B-best 2-0 record.
Rebisco hopes to nail a breakthrough against Saipa of Iran to close its preliminaries campaign at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3.
Team Choco Mucho also suffered its second defeat in the tourney after bowing to Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu, 22-25, 18-25, 15-25, on the same day.
“I think we lacked composure individually. That’s what we really need—maturity in the game, on ourselves, as well as working together as a team,” said setter Deanna Wong.
For a team that trained only two months—much more having been formed a month or two more—the two “Cs,” cohesion and chemistry, are goals that aren’t achieved overnight.
“We would have to improve on these aspects by ourselves every day,” added Wong, whose teammates, whose participation in their first international sortie is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Rebisco, Taguig City, and Asics, wound up at the bottom of the three-team Pool A.
Coach Odjie Mamon said Choco Mucho they’ll have to work more on becoming a cohesive team and on how to ride momentum every time it presents itself.
“It was quite disappointing that we can play good touches in defense but cannot convert in offense,” Mamon said. “For now, we really have to work on the team’s cohesion and making their teamwork really come out in the game.”
Modestly for the team, Choco Mucho didn’t grope all game long and showed flashes of having learned from its first acid test, an 11-25, 26-28, 17-25 setback to Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima QminC VC on opening day Friday.
Choco Mucho’s blocking was solid behind middles Ria Meneses and national team debutant Dell Palomata, both defending the fort against the taller Kazakhs in the first two sets.
The Filipinas, however, lost steam in the third set as Zhetysu delivered a more solid offensive and defensive game to hammer out the straight-sets romp.
Choco Mucho will face the No. 2 squad in pool B on Monday, (Oct. 4). (PNVF) – bny
