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Foton taps 4 PSL stars to boost AVC line-up

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/sports/7/06/foton-070716.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Foton acquired the services of Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachel Anne Daquis of RC Cola-Army to beef up the Tornadoes&#x27; roster for the AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship. <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/volleyball/news/2016/07/07/foton-adds-four-psl-stars-asian-women-s-club-tourney-13101" target="_blank">ABS-CBN Sports</a></div></figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines – Foton has drafted four Philippine Superliga (PSL) stars as reinforcements when it competes in the AVC Asian Women&#x27;s Club Championship in Manila on September 3 to 11.Foton team manager Alvin Lu said Thursday that Aby Maraño of F2 Logistics, Jen Reyes of Petron, and the RC Cola-Army pair of Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachel Anne Daquis have been added to their line-up in preparation for the continental tournament.The four stars are expected to provide valuable experience, as Maraño, Reyes, and Daquis were part of the Petron squad that previously competed in the Club Championship last year, while Gonzaga is also a veteran of international tournaments, having captained the national team in the 28th Southeast Asian Games last year.All four have already reported for practice, and will join Foton when they hold a training camp in Bangkok immediately after the PSL All-Filipino Conference.&quot;Their experience in the international competition will be a major boost to our team,&quot; said Lu, adding that coach Vilet Ponce-de Leon is leaving no stone unturned in terms of their preparations.&quot;This shows how serious we are in forming a very competitive team,&quot; he said. &quot;We will be playing before our countrymen, we want to make sure that our team will put up a gallant stand.&quot;(READ: <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/volleyball/news/2016/07/06/lady-eagles-eye-duplicate-bronze-finish-aug-13066" target="_blank">Lady Eagles eye to duplicate bronze finish in AUG</a>)The four PSL stars will be joined by American imports Ariel Usher and Linday Stalzer, while locals Jaja Santiago, Angeli Araneta, Patty Orendain, and Ivy Perez comprise the core of the 18-woman pool.Also making it are Bia General, Rhea Dimaculangan, Maika Ortiz, Kara Acevedo, EJ Laure, Cherry Rondina, and Carol Cerveza.The team will be formally introduced in a press conference on July 22.&quot;We will trim the line-up to the final 12 right after we arrive from Bangkok,&quot; said Lu. &quot;So we expect everybody to show up and give their best, because representing the country is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.&quot;The Tornadoes are in a relatively light bracket, having been grouped in Pool A together with Lien Viet Post Bank of Vietnam and the Hong Kong national team.Things will get more difficult from there, however, as they have to overcome Asian heavyweights like reigning champion Bangkok Glass of Thailand, April 25 of North Korea, Sarmayeh Bank of Iran, Hisamitsu Springs of Japan, Zhetysu Almaty of Kazakhstan, Jakarta Electric PLN of Indonesia, Taiwan Power of Chinese Taipei and Bayi Army of China before winning the crown.Malaysia will also participate, but they have yet to inform the organizers what team they will field in.&quot;We really have to put our best foot forward, because this tournament is an Asian championship. It is not a walk in the park,&quot; Lu stressed. For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/" target="_blank">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

Foton has drafted four Philippine Superliga (PSL) stars as reinforcements when it competes in the AVC Asian Women's Club Championship in Manila on September 3 to 11.