Whatever happens in their historic campaign in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup, this current batch of Alas Pilipinas Women has already etched its mark in the heart of long-time national team member Dawn Catindig.
The 27-year-old defensive ace – who has been representing the Philippines since 2017 – said that this group, composed of PVL and UAAP stars, holds a special place in her heart because of the passion and maturity they have shown throughout the tournament.
“Sobrang special every batch,” said Catindig.
“Pero ito ang pinaka feeling ko sobrang sarap maglaro ng volleyball.
“Kasi natutuwa ako sa mga bata eh, kasi sobrang matured nila maglaro and sobrang napapadali ang trabaho namin,” she added.
Alas Pilipinas made strides and defied the odds in the ongoing AVC Challenge Cup, surprising everyone by defeating each opponent they faced en route to a clean sweep of Pool A, which earned them a spot in the knockout semifinals.
This marked the first time in 63 years that the Philippines has reached the semifinals of any Asian Volleyball Confederation tournament.
Alas Pilipinas’ impressive run in the AVC Challenge Cup – where they have already secured a top-four finish – is the national team’s highest finish in any tournament in recent memory.
Catindig, as a veteran, has been one of the team’s leaders alongside team captain Jia De Guzman. And she said it has been surreal for her after witnessing the team’s heartbreaks and failures over the years.
“Sobrang surreal na since joining the national team back in 2017, ito naman talaga ‘yung goal,” said the Cignal HD Spiker after the sweep-clinching win over Chinese Taipei.
“Sobrang masaya ako na ngayon nandito na kami and malapit na malapit na ma-achieve ‘yung pinapangarap namin,” she added.
While she feels elated to be part of this historic squad, the former PVL MVP said that the job is not yet finished for the national team.
Alas Pilipinas will battle Kazakhstan on Tuesday, 7:00 PM in hopes of securing a spot in the finale.
“Yun nga, sobrang happy kaming lahat na part kami ng history na ito and siyempre this is also a preparation na it’s something that would inspire the future generations.”
