Alas Pilipinas captain Jia De Guzman knows that the road isn’t so simple for the team after breaking through yet again at the AVC Nations Cup.
The road is expected to get more challenging for the Alas Pilipinas Women even after their second place finish in the AVC Nations Cup in Vietnam.
That is, as more and more expectations mount on the national team, there is bound to be pressure to produce results day in and day out.
[READ: Jia De Guzman happy to see results reflect Alas Pilipinas' growth with AVC Nations Cup silver]
But as far as Alas skipper Jia De Guzman is concerned, a growth mindset is what’s needed to not just get results in the short term, but focus on the future of the program, which has been lacking before the current national team program.
Understanding that the downs are just as essential as the ups, or maybe even more so, De Guzman is ready to face anything with her teammates.
“Of course we’re very very happy with the result but if you ask me I’m much more fulfilled seeing the growth of the girls, the coaches, and the whole team because we know it’s easy to say na pataas kami nang pataas but we know na mas maraming hirap na darating for us to reach the top because that’s what the other teams had to go through to get there," De Guzman said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.
“So for us naman, honestly, this is just our second year together as a pool, as a team, so we know marami pa kaming pagdadaanan talaga,” she added.
More than the in-game learnings from the AVC Nations Cup, De Guzman also stressed the need for developing the team’s character. With a lot more to come for the national team this year, the decorated setter is excited for things to come.
“This AVC [Nations Cup] was different compared to the AVC [Challenge Cup] last year. Last year it was our first time together and there was really no pressure, we were really just enjoying the game, it’s the same naman this year. We ask everyone to enjoy the game, do their best but maraming iba nang natetest samin it’s not just our skills or our chemistry as a team. It’s also yung character namin, how we respond to certain situations," said De Guzman.
“That’s something that the other teams that are stronger than us have over us. So these are experiences that we need as a team para lumakas pa.”
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When it comes to the fans and the Philippine volleyball community, De Guzman said she hopes that they just come along for the ride.
At the end of the day, Alas Pilipinas want nothing more than to represent the country well and bring honor to the Philippines.
“Hopefully, in the long run, mas masupportahan pa kami para maabot namin yung mga goals na sineset namin for us and also to give more pride to the country,” she said.
Coming up next for the national team is the VTV Cup in Vietnam which is slated for the end of June. They are also set to compete in the SEA V.League and the Southeast Asian Games this year.