THE Team Cebu City (TCC) men’s beach volleyball team will be expecting a new member before joining another series of tournaments in the AVC beach volleyball tours later this year.
The potential candidates are Chris Michael MacDonalds from California and AJ Pareja, a former player of Ateneo de Manila University, who is currently working in Boracay.
“No formal invites have been given out yet. Pareja is a 6’ 4" player from Boracay and MacDonalds is a defensive specialist from Southern California,” said Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) beach volleyball consultant Eric Lecain.
One of them will be the potential partner of Jade Becaldo, who was left alone after
his partner Loujie "Tippy" Tipgos got a job abroad.
The TCC performed decently in the 2014 AVC tournaments in Thailand, when it was represented by Becaldo and Edward Ybañez.
TCC also made an impressive performance, with Tipgos and Becaldo winning second place, in the Olympic Zonal Tourney. They then reached the Round of 16 in the 4th Asian Beach Games in Thailand.
“I believe if we tap these new players, we could possibly make it to the championship round in AVC," said Lecain.
Despite winning the first phase of the Zonal behind Becaldo and Tipgos, Lecain said he is not sure who will be sent to play in the second phase as it will all depend on the Philippine Volleyball Federation (PFV).
"A lot of the certainty has to do with who will run the PVF and who they will be sending. Nothing is sure yet. All we need to do now is to prepare," said Lecain. ISL
Lecain added that for now they are eyeing of joining a series of AVC tournaments, inviting a foreign team and start another set of leagues for men and women.
"we have so many things planned for this year including bring the mens japanese team to cebu, and starting another league.I am hoping that we play in the entire AVC tour this year and possible play in China stop on the world tour," said Lecain. (ISL)