MONTALBAN, RIZAL — With Alas Pilipinas Women riding high after impressive campaigns in the AVC Challenge Cup and the VTV International Volleyball Cup, head coach Jorge de Brito underscored the importance of maintaining the team’s core to build long-term success.
The Philippine women’s national volleyball team — anchored by Jia de Guzman, Dell Palomata, Bella Belen, and Angel Canino — made history on June 14 by winning a silver medal in the AVC Challenge Cup, marking the country’s best finish ever in a continental tournament.
Just two weeks later, a different group of players led by Eya Laure, Brooke Van Sickle, and MJ Phillips competed in the VTV Cup. Despite finishing fourth, the team showcased grit and resilience against formidable opponents like Est Cola of Thailand and Korabelka of Russia.
“One thing I really believe in is that we need a core group of players. We must bring this core to many competitions and give them enough time to train together,” De Brito said on Sunday at the Ynares Center here, following Capital1’s match in the PVL On Tour.
“Of course, you can name all the best players, but we need to grow as a team. It’s not just about adding stars — we need to integrate them into a system and make sure they’re comfortable within it,” he added.
De Brito’s comments suggest that the current training pool will remain largely intact heading into the Southeast Asia (SEA) V.League legs this August. Rather than introducing new names, the coaching staff is focused on strengthening team chemistry and continuity.
With strong performances from both the AVC Challenge Cup and VTV Cup squads, De Brito now faces the “good problem” of finalizing the SEA V.League roster. The depth and promise shown by both groups have made the selection process more competitive.
“It’s a good problem to have, but still, there’s a lot of work to do,” he said. “The SEA V.League is just a month away. People might think we’re on a break, but there’s no break — we’re starting again this week.”
De Brito also lauded his players’ adaptability, especially during the VTV Cup, where the team had only one natural opposite spiker, Leila Cruz. In some matches, Alleiah Malaluan stepped in to fill the role, showing flexibility that the coach believes will be crucial in the long term.
“We have to maximize our potential when we face strong teams, and to do that, we have to bring all our options. At the VTV Cup, we only had one opposite, so we had to adjust and have others play that position,” he explained.
“Even with all the rotation and different lineups, we competed at the same level as the top teams. I’m really happy because if we face any issues in future tournaments, we now have players who can step into other roles. That’s something we’ve lacked before, but this group of 14 players we brought — those will be the ones we’ll choose from moving forward.”
#WATCH: After their #VTVCup campaign, Alas Women head coach Jorge De Brito highlights the importance of chemistry—no need for star-studded rosters, just players growing together as one 🇵🇭🏐
📹 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/Duycp88HaL
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) July 6, 2025
