THE young guns of the Alas Pilipinas women’s national volleyball team are back for the coming 5th Southeast Asian (SEA) V.League first leg which will commence later this week.
Stars Bella Belen, Angel Canino, Alyssa Solomon and Shaina Nitura return to the national team for the regional meet set for Aug. 1-3 in Thailand with veterans like skipper Jia De Guzman and Eya Laure also making up the team.
The quartet last played for Alas in the AVC Nations Cup back in June where the Philippines captured a historic silver medal in the Asian tournament with Canino winnning the Best Outside Spiker.
Belen, Canino, Solomon, and Nitura, however, were not included in the VTV Cup in Vietnam back also last June in the squad’s fourth-place finish.
Also making up the Filipina spikers’ roster in the four-nation competition are Vanie Gandler, Mars Alba, Dawn Catindig, Justine Jazareno, Thea Gagate, Leila Cruz, Dell Palomata, Clarisse Loresco and Fifi Sharma.
Three Fil-Am aces in Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips and Tia Andaya who all played in the VTV Cup were not part of the Alas’ list in the SEA V.League.
In the competition, Alas will go up against Southeast Asia powerhouses Thailand and Vietnam on Friday and Saturday, respectively, before it collides with Indonesia on Sunday for its final match in the first leg.
Last year in the two legs of the SEA V.League, the Jorge Souza de Brito-mentored Philippine team finished with back-to-back bronze medals.
