National team captain Jia De Guzman attributed the triumphant start of Alas Pilipinas in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup to their collective effort.
Alas Pilipinas sent a resounding statement on Thursday night, May 23.
Despite limited preparation time and a size disadvantage compared to the Australian Volleyroos, the Filipinas defied the odds and kicked off their 2024 AVC Challenge Cup campaign with a resilient 22-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-21 victory.
So, it should not come as a surprise that national team captain Jia De Guzman could not hide her delight with the victory.
“It feels great. Knowing especially that we didn't have a lot of preparations coming here today. As in, going to this game, sabi namin, 'Regardless of what happens, as long as we leave our best on the floor, okay kami sa kung ano man ang result.’,” De Guzman said.
“Thankfully, the win went our way.”
Leading the winning effort was none other than national team captain De Guzman.
Like a seasoned maestro, the decorated playmaker orchestrated the offense of Alas, drawing out an instrumental performance from the quintet of Angel Canino, Eya Laure Sisi Rondina, Thea Gagate, and Fifi Sharma.
Canino shone in her seniors national team debut with 17 points, while Laure was nothing short of spectacular with a 17-point showing of her own.
Rondina showcased heart over height with a hard-earned 16 markers, while Gagate and Sharma made their presence felt above the net with 11 and seven points, respectively.
On the defensive end, Dawn Catindig and Jennifer Nierva stabilized the backline with their reliable floor coverage, delivering steady passes that kickstarted the offense of Alas.
It was truly a collective team effort, much to the delight of De Guzman.
“It wasn't just me, it was a total team effort talaga. I can't do everything by myself,” De Guzman bared.
“It wasn't easy for me to distribute the ball as I did if hindi pumasa ng maayos ang teammates ko, so I have to give credit to the floor defense and the net defense of the team kasi we are trying to stick to a system talaga para maging madali ang buhay namin especially going against Australia.”
With the rousing victory already in the rear view mirror, De Guzman and the rest of the Alas Pilipinas now set their sights on India as they aim for a 2-0 start tomorrow at 7:00 p.m.
“Every game for us will be a big learning experience talaga. This win is great pero marami rin kaming mapupulot na errors, lessons that can help us achieve results in the following games,” De Guzman said.
The match will air on One Sports, One Sports+, and the Pilipinas Live app.