Jia de Guzman is set to return to Denso for the 2024-25 SV.League season, continuing her journey in Japanese volleyball.
Her presence has been instrumental for the Airybees, and her return marks another chapter in her growing international career.
De Guzman will report to the Airybees’ camp soon, as confirmed by Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) national team chairman Ricky Palou.
“Her (De Guzman) contract in Japan has been renewed, so I think she’ll go back there today or tomorrow; she’s leaving for Japan,” Palou shared on Thursday. This timeline means that De Guzman will miss the scheduled tune-up games of Alas Pilipinas in mid-September against Japanese club teams.
Despite her absence, Palou assured that the national team will continue its preparation.
“In the meantime, the team will be practicing, but as far as I know, after May, babalik na siya dito for the national team. When the national team calendar comes into play, she’ll be back in the Philippines for the Alas team,” he added.
De Guzman’s departure leaves Julia Coronel as the only other playmaker in the national team’s current pool. Her return to Japan comes on the heels of a successful season, where she recently led the Airybees to a Japan V Cup title, a prestigious cup-style tournament held right after the V.League season.
During the 2023 V.League Division 1 campaign, De Guzman played a key role in helping Denso secure a fifth-place finish with a 12-10 record in the regular season.
With the V.League now restructured into a unified league without divisions, the Airybees will compete in the newly formed SV.League, Japan’s top-tier volleyball competition.
This reorganization brings new challenges, as former Division 2 and 3 teams, including Kurashiki Ablaze—champions of the 2023 PVL Invitational Conference—will now be competing in the same league.
De Guzman isn’t the only Filipino making waves in Japan. Jaja Santiago, who has spent six years with Ageo Medics and JT Marvelous, has already earned multiple individual accolades, further solidifying her status in the league.
On the men’s side, Marck Espejo, a standout from Criss Cross in the Spikers’ Turf, recently announced that he will be joining Kubota Spears Osaka, adding another Filipino presence to Japan’s volleyball scene.
