The F2 Logistics Cargo Movers has been quite about their team preparation for the Philippine Superliga (PSL) Grand Prix that will start on October 8. Their roster didn't change a lot with only Cienne Cruz joining the team while former College of Saint Benilde stars Djanel Cheng and Janine Navarro are still working for their release order from Cignal.
Tried and tested stars Mika Reyes, Aby Marano, Cha Cruz, Kim Fajardo and Cyd Demecillo will all return as well as Most Valuable Player Dawn Macandili, Kim Dy and Majoy Baron, who were reportedly sitting out the Grand Prix in preparation for the UAAP early next year.
They are expected face a tough contender against a rock-solid Cignal squad with imports Lynda Morales and Laura Schaudt with veterans Venus Bernal, Paneng Mercado, Lourdes Patillano and Janine Marciano joining the core of Michelle Laborte, Jheck Dionela and Cherry Vivas. The HD Spikers also got Filipino-Hawaiian playmaker Shawna-Lei Santos from St. John’s University in the US NCAA.
Reigning champion Foton and Petron also fielded a lot of talent. The Tornadoes will be bringing in Lindsay Stalzer and Ariel Usher with Jaja Santiago, Rhea Dimaculangan, Angeli Araneta and Maika Ortiz while the Tri-Activ Spikers parade the intact core of Frances Molina, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Maica Morada, Bang Pineda and Jen Reyes with Stephanie Niemer and Serena Warner serving as reinforcement.
Generika, meanwhile, will have Ria Meneses, Shaya Adorador, Gen Casugod and Rubie de Leon to bank on with Darlene Ramdin and Polina Liutikova as reinforcements.
RC Cola-Army will be intact as Jovelyn Gonzaga, Honey Royse Tubino , Christine Agno and other military athletes will be back to join Rachel Anne Daquis, Tina Salak and Michelle Carolino in carrying the fight.
So who will be F2 Logistics imports? According to a team insider they are keeping it a secret, but that they are training their sights on a pair of prospects with amazing talents and great credentials: Ekaterina Krivets and Yevgeniya Nyukhalova. The team is wooing Krivets who is also being lined up to see action for PSL Manila in the FIVB Women’s Club World Championship from Oct. 18 to 23 at the Mall of Asia Arena. She is a 6-foot-4 middle blocker for Dynamo Krasnodar – a Russian powerhouse that won the CEV Women’s Challenge Cup in 2013 and Women’s CEV Cup in 2015 and 2016. The squad also campaigned in the FIVB Women’s Club World Championship in Switzerland last year.
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| Ekaterina Krivets |
Prior to that Krivets played for Dinamo Moscow together with world-class stars Fernanda Garay of Brazil, Nataliya Goncharova and Tatiana Kosheleva of Russia and Sanja Popovic of Serbia.
She won a gold medal for Russia in the Belogorod Summer Universiade in 2008 and four silver medals in the championship of Russia. She also had a brief appearance for Volero Zurich, which is regarded as the richest club in Switzerland.
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| Yevgeniya Nyukhalova |
Yevgeniya Nyukhalova is 6'4" spiker from Ukraine who saw action for VK Severodontchanka in Ukraine, Volero Zurich in Switzerland and ES Le Cannet in France. She also participated for the Swiss powerhouse in the past two editions of the FIVB Women’s Club World Championship in 2014 and 2015 and, probably, for PSL Manila this year.
