ALAS Pilipinas' last-minute player swap request has been approved.
Julia Coronel has officially replaced Alleiah Malaluan in the Philippines' final women's volleyball roster for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
READ: Alas pushing for last-minute switch of Coronel for Malaluan
Coronel’s inclusion was reflected in the official entry list for the tournament, affirming head coach Jorge Souza de Brito’s push to bring in a third setter for the campaign.
The Galeries Tower playmaker will join team captain Jia de Guzman and Akari’s Mars Alba to complete the Nationals’ setter trio.
With Malaluan scratched from the list, Alas will be down to six spikers in Angel Canino, Bella Belen, Alyssa Solomon, Shaina Nitura, Eya Laure, and Vanie Gandler.
Only Solomon is a natural opposite in the national team, while Canino has been deployed by de Brito as an occasional opposite in recent international tournaments.
The Philippines will open its SEA Games campaign against host nation and 14-time reigning champion Thailand on Thursday, 6:30 p.m. (Manila time).
Alas is aiming to end a 20-year medal drought in the biennial meet, having last clinched bronze in the 2005 edition held in Bacolod.
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