PRIZED setter Jia De Guzman’s return to her pink jersey with the Creamline Cool Smashers will have to wait for a little while as she remains committed to playing for the Alas Pilipinas national women’s volleyball team.
The two-time AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup best setter maintained that she will be returning to the Cool Smashers in the PVL after spending two years in the Japan SV.League.
De Guzman, 30, recently skippered the Filipina spikers to a historic silver medal finish in the Nations Cup last week, the highest feat that the country achieved in an AVC-sanctioned tournament in 64 years.
“Of course, I’m going back to Creamline, but I went to a team also that knows that I have responsibilities for the flag. So, right now, I’m very grateful because they’re allowing me to focus entirely on Alas Pilipinas because we know that we have a responsibility to the country also so I’m very grateful sa Creamline,” De Guzman said in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex conference hall last Tuesday.
The ace playmaker and Ateneo product played two years in Japan with the Denso Airybees. She was part of the Airybees team that won the title in the Japan V.Cup in 2023-24 season.
De Guzman last played for the Cool Smashers in the 2023 PVL Invitational Conference.
The 5-foot-7 De Guzman, however, did not give a timetable on when she will suit up anew for Creamline.
She explained: “Right now kasi, it’s really the national team period. Klaro naman po iyong usapan namin ng Rebisco management that while the Alas players are needed by the national team, our focus is here.”
“It’s not just me who’s in the pool from the Rebisco family. There’s also Maddie (Madayag) and now also Tia Andaya (from the Choco Mucho Flying Titans). Very clear naman iyong management and very supportive because they know that when they send us to the national team, we come back with better experiences that can help Creamline and Choco Mucho in their campaigns.”
Alas women will next compete later this month in the VTV Cup in Vietnam.
The Nationals are also lined up to see action in the SEA V.League in August before playing in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December.
