FIVB Challenger Cup fires off Thursday

Games Thursday
(Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
3 p.m. – Puerto Rico vs Kenya
5 p.m. – Sweden vs Belgium

MANILA, Philippines – The race for that one precious slot to the prestigious Women’s Volleyball Nations League starts as eight countries, including host Alas Pilipinas, clash in the FIVB Challenger Cup, which will be unveiled Thursday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Puerto Rico and Kenya open hostilities at 3 p.m. while Sweden, the recently crowned European Golden League champion in Ostrava, the Czech Republic, faces off with Belgium, a European league bronze winner, at 5 p.m.

The Swedes are expected to parade European Golden League reigning Most Valuable Players Isabelle Haak; while the Belgians will parade their two best weapons in power-hitting Britt Herbots and Silke Van Avermet.

And it will be Alas Pilipinas’ turn on Friday as they battle fancied regional rival Vietnam, which ruled the AVC Challenge Cup last month when the former settled for a breakthrough bronze.

Preceding the Philippines-Vietnam 5 p.m. showdown is the duel between European Golden League silver medalist Czech Republic, which will be spearheaded by Michaela Mlejnkova, and Argentina, the 2019 Challenger Cup third placer, at 3 p.m.

And the Filipinas are bracing for a tougher grind ahead.

“We know it will be a tough tournament but we will try to play our best,” said Alas skipper Jia de Guzman.

The short but sweet four-day tilt will have a knockout format where the eight try to eliminate every team they face until one ends up as the sole winner and recipient of that important seat to the VNL where they will join planet’s cream of the crop next year.

The semifinals are set Saturday while the finale the next day.

And Alas Pilipinas and its droves of rabid, glory-seeking Philippine fandom are hoping the country can achieve the impossible and miraculously claim that one ticket to VNL heaven.