For Ms. Volley De Guzman, her dream just came true

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JIA de Guzman became only the second non-scoring player to be named Ms. Volleyball last Monday during the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards Night at the Manila Hotel.

“This is a dream come true for me because being a setter in volleyball and playing a non-scoring supporting role for my team, I’ve always found the most fulfillment in seeing my teammates, my spikers, shine,” De Guzman said in a video message as her husband Miguel received the award on her behalf.

“But along with a non-scoring position comes challenges, self-placed limitations, and even dreams that I thought I would never be able to achieve. Dreams like playing as a setter import in Japan and even receiving a distinctive award such as Miss Volleyball. So I have to thank all of you for this,” added De Guzman, who is playing as an import in Japan for the Denso Airybees squad.

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The Alas Pilipinas skipper mirrored the feat first achieved by libero Dawan Macandili in 2018 and joined the list of Ms. Volleyball winners that included Alyssa Valdez, Aby Marano, Mika Reyes, Jaja Santiago, Cherry Ann Rondina and Tots Carlos.

De Guzman, 29, led the national team to a historical bronze medal finish in the AVC Challenger Cup where she was also named as the Best Setter. The former Ateneo standout also led Alas Pilipinas to bronze medal finishes in the first and second legs of Southeast Asia V.League.

She thanked the Philippine National Volleyball Federation led by its president, Ramon “Tats” Suzara, national team head coach Jorge Souza de Brito, her teammates, Rebisco, family members, and her husband for their unwavering support.

“To the PNVF headed by Mr. Tats Suzara, along with all our generous sponsors, thank you so much for graciously giving your support to elevate both the men’s and the women’s volleyball programs in the country. To the very talented and hard-working members of Alas Pilipinas, from the staff headed by coach Jorge De Brito and, of course, my wonderful teammates, it was surreal working with all of you last year and making history together. I’m looking forward to working with all of you again very soon,” she said.

“To all of the coaches and teammates I’ve had the honor of playing with throughout the entirety of my volleyball career, thank you so much for making me the athlete that I am today. I’d also like to thank my husband Miguel for being my anchor and making me strong in ways I never thought possible.”

De Guzman also talked about the sacrifices and hardships athletes go through, saying: “Our why becomes our purpose. It gives us strength to power through even when things are hard, when things are painful because it makes everything worth it.”

She said “2025 will be a very important year for us in Alas Pilipinas. So to share with you our why, our purpose, it is to take this privilege, do our best to inspire, and open more doors for the next generation of volleyball athletes to come.”

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