Alas Pilipinas shuffled its lineup and still emerged victorious against Iran, thanks in large part to the leadership and playmaking prowess of Jia De Guzman in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup.
Alas Pilipinas shuffled their deck of aces and still hardly missed a beat, orchestrating a drubbing of Iran to book a trip to the semifinals of the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup on Saturday, May 25.
Philippines head coach Jorge De Brito was proactive in playing the second stringers to give the usual starters a much-needed breather, acknowledging the grueling nature of the week-long tournament that barely has any rest days.
Among the lineup changes, Vanie Gandler, Cherry Nunag, and Jen Nierva started in place of Eya Laure, Thea Gagate, and Dawn Catindig. Julia Coronel and Faith Nisperos also saw significant playing time.
Despite the rotational adjustments, Alas Pilipinas maintained a high level of performance, much to the delight of Sisi Rondina, who credited this seamless transition to team captain and seasoned setter Jia De Guzman.
“Alam niyo, na-amaze ako sa mga teammates namin ngayon kasi ang bilis mag-adjust and parang pare-pareho lang kami talaga ng role, kung ano ‘yung kailangan gawin, pinupunan. And which is, ang billis na rin maka-adjust,” said Rondina.
“Lalong lalo na led by Ate Jia kaya ayun, thankful ako sa kanila kasi sobrang napapadali ‘yung trabaho namin.”
De Guzman was once again surgical.
The multi-titled playmaker’s exceptional setting and court vision enabled Alas to operate at peak efficiency, seamlessly integrating the second stringers into the flow of the game. Her ability to distribute the ball effectively also kept the Iranian defense constantly off balance.
The numbers speak for themselves, as the Philippines overwhelmed Iran in the spiking department with a dominant 47-29 differential.
Eight Filipinas benefited from Jia De Guzman’s pinpoint tosses, with Angel Canino once again leading the way with 16 points.
Rondina scored a dozen, all of which coming from attacks, while Gandler and Fifi Sharma delivered nine and six points, respectively, for the Alas Pilipinas, which also strung a combined six points from Nunag and Nisperos.
“Lagi lang nire-remind sa amin ni Ate Jia na maglaro lang kami ng amin, ‘yung pinakakomportable namin and kailangan lang naman rumeceive ng maayos and the offense will follow,” Rondina shared.
“So, ayun lang, siguro, maganda lang din yung pagle-lead niya kasi lahat kami nakikinig lang and sumusunod which is lumalabas naman.”
Alas Pilipinas seek to sustain their fine form as they aim to complete a group phase sweep against Chinese Taipei on Sunday, May 26, at 7:00 p.m.