THE Alas Pilipinas women’s volleyball team looks to display its tremendous improvement as the national team will be tested in a redemption tour in the AVC Women’s Nations Cup next month.
Formerly known as the AVC Challenge Cup for Women, the Nations Cup is slated next month from June 7 to 14 with last year’s champion Vietnam serving as hosts.
The Philippines, bronze medalists of the previous edition of competition and currently 52nd in the FIVB world rankings, was drawn to Pool B, joining last year’s first runner-up and world No. 31 Kazakhstan, No. 54 Indonesia, No. 57 Iran, and first-timers Mongolia and New Zealand.
Pool A, on the other hand, is composed of defending champion and 32nd-ranked Vietnam, Australia, India, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong, China.
This will be Alas women’s first stint in this year’s national team calendar of tournaments.
Expectations are high for the Jorge Souza de Brito-mentored Alas women after a historic bronze medal finish in the Challenge Cup last year where it defeated Australia for third place.
Skipper and veteran setter Jia De Guzman spearheaded the Alas’ success alongside Eya Laure, Angel Canino, Thea Gagate, Sisi Rondina, Fifi Sharma and Dawn Catindig, for the country’s first-ever AVC-sanctioned medal since 1961.
Alas’ achievement also snapped a five-year medal drought for the national squad since capturing a pair of bronze medals in the Southeast Asian V.League legs back in 2019.
Before the Nations Cup, Alas bolstered its pool with promising talents like UAAP Season 87 Rookie of the Year Shaina Nitura, UAAP champion setter Camilla Lamina, Best Opposite Shevana Laput, pro players Maddie Madayag, MJ Phillips, Justine Jazareno, and Leila Cruz, among others.
