A late change of plans for Galeries Tower led to a last-minute import swap on the eve of the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference.
READ: PVL introduces double-round pool play prelims for Reinforced Conference
31-year-old Thai outside hitter Sutadta Chuewulim will suit up for the Highrisers as its official reinforcement, taking the place of Brazilian spiker Monique Helena.
Galeries Tower head coach Lerma Giron confirmed the last-minute move to SPIN.ph on Monday evening, but did not disclose the reason behind the change.
Chuewulim is no stranger to Philippine volleyball by any means as she's already played in three local volleyball leagues over a seven-year period.
Two years since her first stint for the powerhouse Thai national team, Jarawat made her Philippine debut for the Cagayan Valley Lady Rising Suns in the Shakey's V-League where she led her side to a runner-up finish in the tournament's 9th Season Open Conference in 2012.
In 2016, Chuewulim returned to the country as part of the Philippine Superliga's (PSL) foreign guest team and eventual co-champion Est Cola in the 2016 Invitational Cup where she was named best outside spiker.
It would take three years for the Thai ace to make her third and fourth Philippine stints as she first played for United Volleyball Club in the PSL before jumping ship to the PVL with the BanKo Perlas Spikers as a replacement for Lakia Bright, who was the league's single-game scoring record holder at the time.
She'd then play for champion Thai clubs Supreme Donburi and Diamond Food in the Thailand League, one which saw her feted as best outside spiker once more back in 2020.
In similar circumstances as her last PVL stint, the Thai ace was reinstated as a last-minute import for the Galeries Tower in what will be their third conference in the league and their first taste of import-laden competition.
Chuewulim and the rest of Galeries Tower will launch its Reinforced Conference campaign on opening day against Nxled on Tuesday, 2 p.m. at the Philsports Arena.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
