Jia De Guzman could hardly believe her eyes.
Alas Pilipinas didn’t just win — they dominated.
The Philippines delivered a statement performance, dismantling world No. 30 Kazakhstan in straight sets, 25-21, 25-15, 25-19, to clinch a semifinal berth in the AVC Women’s Nations Cup on Thursday — avenging last year’s heartbreak and proving they belong among Asia’s elite.
De Guzman said the massive win over the Kazakhs would be a huge confidence boost as the team aims to go beyond their historic bronze medal finish in the previous edition held in Manila.
“I think kahit sinong makalaban namin going into the next round, ang laki ng panalong ‘to para sa confidence namin. That’s what we needed from today’s win or all of the wins we got from this [pool] round,” said the reigning Nations Cup Best Setter.
“So ayun, hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala. Pero sobrang saya kasi hinahanap din kasi namin ‘yung rhythm namin throughout this tournament and it came at a perfect time today against Kazakhstan,” she added.
The veteran playmaker credited the team’s unwavering focus, sharing that they were already mentally preparing for Kazakhstan immediately after their straight-sets win over New Zealand the day before.
De Guzman admitted she was still in disbelief at how dominant their performance was, expressing pride in how the young players stepped up when it mattered most.
“Actually from yesterday’s game pa lang, pagpasok ng dugout namin, ‘yung utak namin nasa Kazakhstan na talaga. Alam namin na mahirap na laban talaga today and we needed to give our very best para manalo,” said the eight-time PVL Best Setter.
“Grabe, hindi ako makapaniwala na 3-0 ‘yung panalo. Basta alam namin papasok kami sa court today and we will do whatever it takes to win — and I’m so proud of my teammates talaga.”
