Premier Volleyball League Open Conference top four teams have rescinded to play in the 2021 AVC Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship citing injuries to key players and concerns from the spiking cases of Covid-19 in Thailand. 

Crossovers team manager Ronwald Dimaculangan, aside from relating Covid-19 concerns,  shared that the team has suffered injuries that some of its players sustained in the Ilocos Norte bubble which became the substantial reason for the decision. 

“We have injured players who need immediate medical attention aside from the high Covid cases in Thailand,” Dimaculangan said.

Apart from that, PVL Conference and Finals MVP Jaja Santiago will fly to Japan in the first week of September to fulfill her duties for the Ageo Medics in Japan V.League.

The Cool Smashers also declined the invitation citing that they are still recovering from minor injuries as well.

For their part, Petro Gazz and Choco Mucho also backed out mainly due to the rising COVID-19 cases in Thailand.

With the four teams having declined, Liao said the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Tats Suzara has requested PVL head Ricky Palou to tap fifth placer, Sta. Lucia.

“Creamline, PetroGazz and Choco Mucho backed out. Tats requested Ricky to invite Sta Lucia which is next in line,” he bared.

The Philippine women’s volleyball team will also compete in the continental tournament wherein they will head against Thailand and Kazakhstan with two squads each and Iran with one team.