Jia De Guzman to serve as Alas Pilipinas captain

The mantle of captaincy for Alas Pilipinas falls on the shoulders of Jia De Guzman.

The multi-titled setter embraces the challenge of leading the Philippine women’s national volleyball team in the upcoming AVC Challenge Cup, slated to run from May 22 to 29 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

“It’s a privilege to be part of this lineup filled with talents from different generations,” the Denso Airybees and Creamline setter told One Sports.

[ALSO READ: Casiey Dongallo sustains right wrist injury, set to sit out for Alas Pilipinas in AVC Challenge Cup]

With a career marked by achievements and a deep understanding of the game, De Guzman stands ready to guide an Alas team that blends youthful vigor with seasoned experience.

The 5-foot-7 playmaker will find invaluable leadership support from Dawn Macandili-Catindig of Cignal, Sisi Rondina and Cherry Nunag of Choco Mucho, and Dell Palomata of PLDT.

The 14-woman squad also boasts an eclectic mix of rising stars in both the pro and collegiate scenes, featuring Eya Laure and Jennifer Nierva of Chery Tiggo, Vanie Gandler of Cignal, Fifi Sharma and Faith Nisperos of Akari, Angel Canino, Thea Gagate and Julia Coronel of La Salle, as well as Arah Panique of National University.

[RELATED: Bella Belen, Alyssa Solomon out of Alas Pilipinas for AVC Challenge Cup]

Coronel had specifically expressed how excited she was to learn from the veteran playmaker.

@onesportsphl JULIA 🫱🏻?🫲🏼 JULIA MENTORSHIP 💫 Having a mentor like Jia de Guzman is definitely a privilege, and Julia Coronel is embracing every opportunity she gets to learn from the Alas Pilipinas team captain. | via Jamie Velasco, Xander Lauren Cipriano/One Sports Digital #OSOnTheSpot #AVCChallengeCup #SportsonTiktok ? original sound - OneSportsPHL

De Guzman assured that she and her teammates are sparing no effort in their preparations for the tournament, where Alas Pilipinas will compete in Pool A alongside Australia, India, Iran, and Chinese Taipei.

“From day one, as seniors, we huddled everyone together para sabihin na we don’t have a lot of time to prepare for the tournament next week, so as much as we can, communicate with each other. Kung may ia-adjust, kung may kailangan baguhin, sabihin na kaagad para we don’t waste any time,” she said.

[ALSO READ: Alas Pilipinas: Schedule for the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Women]

@onesportsphl COMMUNICATION IS KEY. 🔑 With a pool filled with talents from different generations, Jia de Guzman is just privileged to be a part of Alas Pilipinas as they continue preparations for the 2024 AVC Women’s Challenge Cup. #OSOnTheSpot #AVCChallengeCup #SportsonTiktok ? original sound - OneSportsPHL