PVL PVL club Sta. Lucia has begged off in competing in this year’s Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship. Photo by PVL Media Bureau

Sta. Lucia begs off from AWC

August 26, 2021 Theodore P. Jurado 533 views

STA. Lucia has officially begged off from participatiing this year’s Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship, the Premier Volleyball League club announced through its social media accounts late Wednesday.

The continental club tournament will take place on October 1-7 in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

For the Lady Realtors, who placed fifth in the Open Conference with a 5-4 record, it was a huge honor to have been invited.

“It is really unfortunate to pass up an opportunity like this. We are hoping that we could merit a second chance in future tournaments,” the club said in a statement.

Other PVL teams – newly-minted champion Chery Tiggo, runner-up Creamline, third placers PetroGazz and Choco Mucho reportedly have also declined the invite to play in the Thailand tournament.

Coming off a tough tournament inside the Ilocos Norte bubble, Sta. Lucia had to forego the opportunity to represent the country.

“After a thorough evaluation of the invitation and considering various factors, we have determined that present local and health requirements and regional conditions are not conducive to a safe and healthy competition,” the team said.

“The safety of our entire delegation is first and primary in our decision.”

The Lady Realtors’ vital cogs – outside spiker MJ Phillips and middle blocker Dell Palomata – are now focused on training with the national team.

AUTHOR PROFILE