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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Volleyball devider FIVB Challenger Cup action fires off Thursday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium

FIVB Challenger Cup action fires off Thursday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium

Published Jul 3, 2024 05:26 am

At A Glance

  • Four teams slug it out at the start of the 2024 FIVB Women's Volleyball Challenger Cup on Thursday, July 4, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Four teams slug it out at the start of the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup on Thursday, July 4, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Puerto Rico and Kenya raise the curtain at 3 p.m., followed by Sweden against Belgium at 6:30 p.m. in a pair of knockout matches.

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Outside hitter Britt Herbots will try to help Belgium qualify for the Volleyball Nations League 2025. (Volleyball World)

The Puerto Ricans qualified in this eight-team tournament as 2023 NORCECA (North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation) Final Four Champions, while Kenya is the highest-ranked team in the African Volleyball Confederation.

Sweden, for its part, boasts as champions of the European Golden League in Ostrava a few weeks ago and is expected to parade a formidable team spearheaded by league Most Volleyball Player Isabelle Haak.

Belgium, which defeated Romania in straight sets to earn the bronze in the European league, parades a squad featuring star outside hitter Britt Herbots and middle blocker Silke Van Avermaet.

The Alas Pilipinas women’s volleyball team, meanwhile, opens its campaign on Friday, July 5, when it takes on Southeast Asian powerhouse Vietnam at 6:30 p.m.

Prior to the PH-Vietnam tussle, European Golden League silver medalist Czech Republic, led by outside hitter Michaela Mlejnkova, battles the South American Volleyball Confederation’s Argentina, which placed third in the 2019 Challenger Cup, at 3 p.m.

Coming off a golden finish at the AVC Challenge Cup last May, Vietnam is expected to test the mettle of the Filipina spikers, who bagged a historic bronze in the same tournament.

The FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup is a knockout tournament featuring eight teams from five continental confederations vying for a spot in the elite FIVB Volleyball Nations League next year.

The survivors of the first two match days advance to Saturday's semifinals, with the battle for third place and the gold medal match set Sunday, July 7.

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