Pieces continue to fall into place for Alas Pilipinas, as opposite hitter Alyssa Solomon has finally returned home from Japan to rejoin the Nationals’ preparations for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
The national team announced the welcome news on Tuesday, just hours after Solomon attended her first practice since pausing her stint with the Osaka Marvelous in the Japan S.V. League.
“Alas Alyssa is back! Our powerhouse [JT Marvelous] import has returned to the Philippines and is set to train with the rest of 🇵🇭 ALAS PILIPINAS as they gear up for the upcoming SEA Games,” the team posted on Facebook.
Solomon has played in 14 matches so far for Osaka, posting totals of 58 points on 20 blocks.
The Marvelous are currently fourth in the SV.League with a 9-5 slate.
(C) SAVA
The timing is ideal, as four more Premier Volleyball League teams were eliminated from the Reinforced Conference on Monday, increasing the number of players available for the program’s twice-a-week training sessions.
Yesterday, Cignal and Capital1 were both knocked out in the quarterfinals, paving the way for Dawn Catindig, Vanie Gandler, Bella Belen, and Leila Cruz to report full-time to the national team.
Other players now able to join Alas Pilipinas full-time include Maddie Madayag and Kat Tolentino of Choco Mucho, Julia Coronel of Galeries Tower, and Jennifer Nierva of Chery Tiggo, whose mother clubs were already out of contention at the end of the elimination round.
Among the early attendees from the national pool are Jia De Guzman and Eya Laure, along with collegiate standouts Angel Canino and Shaina Nitura.
