ANASTASSIYA Kolomoyets and Anastasiya Kudryashova are not exactly unfamiliar with how Philippine volleyball is played even as they made their debut as CREAMLINE imports in Sunday's AVC Women’s Champions League opener.
READ: Creamline opens AVC Champions League bid in smashing fashion
Kolomoyets and Kudryashova had an encounter with a Philippine team while representing the Kazakhstan powerhouse club VC Kuanysh in the 2024 VTV Ferroli Cup, Vietnam’s annual invitational tournament for Asian clubs, in August last year.
They were drawn in the same pool with reigning UAAP women’s volleyball champions National University, branded as the NU-Boysen Paint Masters at the time.
The Kazakh club won the match, 26-24, 25-18, 25-22, but it was not an easy encounter despite the three-set scoreline.
National U turned heads in this contest as it kept the 2022 Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship winners on their toes despite being a collegiate squad.
As can be gleaned from the scores, the match was close in the first and third frames and could have gone NU's way were it not for a big chunk of the 21 NU errors that came into play during the hotly-contested sets.
Reigning two-time UAAP MVP Bella Belen top-scored for the Lady Bulldogs with a game-high 18 points on 14 attacks, three aces and one block.
Two-time UAAP best opposite spiker Alyssa Solomon dished out a 12-piece on 10 attacks, one block and one ace.
For the Kazakhs, Kolomoyets scored seven points while Kudryashova pitched in three markers after playing two of three sets.
Under Meneses' wing
Now, the foursome of Belen-Solomon and Kolomoyets-Kudryashova have found themselves under multi-titled head coach Sherwin Meneses, as the soft-spoken coach looks to win his first UAAP title with the former tandem, and AVC supremacy in the latter.
Just so they would be on the same page, the imports and the locals played a closed-door tune-up match against each other during the Holy Week to prepare for the Asian meet.
The result of the early preparation appears to have paid early dividends. Creamline subdued Jordan's Al Naser Club, 29-27, 25-20, 25-19, in its opening match at the Philsports Arena last Sunday.
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