Two years ago, the Philippine women’s national volleyball team – represented by Premier Volleyball League club Creamline – faced Vietnam in the 2022 AVC Cup for Women.
At that time, Jia De Guzman emphasized the importance of continuity in the national program to compete at a high level.
Following a sixth-place finish, De Guzman highlighted how her club’s chemistry and preparation together contributed to their performance.
“Mas angat talaga dito is long-term preparation, long-term system, yun talaga ang magpapa-angat sa Philippine volleyball,” said the eigh-time PVL Best Setter, who currently plays for Denso in the V.League.
Two years later, now as captain, one of the country’s top playmakers expressed satisfaction that the Philippine National Volleyball Federation was moving toward that goal.
“We’re going up against teams na tumanda sa loob ng national team. Tayo naman, yun rin ‘yung goal natin, na tumanda kaming magkasama sa loob ng national team,” said the 29-year-old De Guzman.
“That’s how you build longevity. That’s how you build chemistry, and that’s how you build a strong team in the long run.”
The national squad previously faced periods of disbandment between competitions, but now De Guzman hopes that Alas Pilipinas can avoid such setbacks.
Alas Pilipinas recently competed in two tournaments: the AVC Challenger Cup and the FIVB Challenger Cup, and this same team, possibly with some new additions, is expected to participate in the SEA V-League and, notably, the SEA Games.
“You can’t expect that sa isang talo, sa isang adversity, palit agad. You keep the same people, add some new people to reinforce the team. That’s how you make a team strong,” she stressed.
“So, hopefully, ‘yung ang magawa namin.”
