Perlas bolsters roster for PVL Open Conference

MANILA, Philippines -  The Perlas Lady Spikers, who missed the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference semifinals on a tiebreak, have toughened up for the coming Open Conference, tapping ace defender Gizelle Tan and Thai Matinai Muhammad as their new coach.

Charo Soriano, a founding member of the Beach Volleyball Republic and one of Perlas’ team managers, said they have acquired the Ateneo libero to bolster the team’s floor defense.

Gizelle Tan. Photo from Twitter

She added that Muhammad, formerly the team’s trainer, will take over from UP mentor Jerry Yee, who is set to handle newcomer Hapee Toothpaste, a squad made up of some of his wards at the Diliman-based squad, when the new conference is fired off on July 1.

But former UP standouts Kathy Bersola and Nicole Tiamzon will stay with Perlas with the duo expecting to lead the charge with starting spiker Dzi Gervacio taking a temporary leave to study in the US.

“Dzi Gervacio will not play this conference as she will take up a Sports Marketing course for two months in the US,” said Soriano.

Aside from Bersola, Tiamzon and Tan, Perlas also boasts of former Ateneo stalwarts Amy Ahomiro, Jem Ferrer, Ella de Jesus and Mae Tajima along with Ryssabel Devanadera, Amanda Villanueva and former V-League MVP Sue Roces.  

Source: http://www.philstar.com/sports/2017/06/19/1711485/perlas-bolsters-roster-pvl-open-conference