Alas Pilipinas team captain Jia De Guzman urged the team to quickly refocus after a tough straight-sets loss to Thailand in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
Alas Pilipinas Women got a harsh but familiar reminder of Southeast Asia’s volleyball hierarchy after falling to reigning and 14-time champion Thailand, 11-25, 17-25, 16-25, in their SEA Games 2025 opener on Thursday night, at the Indoor Stadium Huamark in Bangkok.
Facing a Thai squad that has dominated the region for three decades, the Filipinas struggled to match their opponents’ pace and precision.
For team captain Jia De Guzman, the team knew from the start what kind of test awaited them.
“Siyempre, we expected Thailand to really bring their best today. We expected nothing less,” De Guzman said in a Cignal interview. “We just did our best. If we don't get the point, we don't get to the next one.”
With the tournament only beginning, she emphasized that Thursday’s match was about hitting the benchmarks set by the coaching staff and learning quickly on the fly.
“Sila coach [Jorge De Brito] naman had their goals for us this game, especially since it's our first match of the tournament. There's still other matches coming, so we're looking forward to that.”
Heart over circumstance
Despite the loss, Alas Women showed flashes of promise, particularly in the second set, where Alyssa Solomon and Angel Canino helped keep the host nation within reach before Thailand’s depth took over once more.
[ALSO READ: Alyssa Solomon excited for first SEA Games, aims to apply lessons from Japan stint]
And even though the national team had just two weeks of training for the biennial meet, De Guzman said they refuse to use it as an excuse.
“I could see everyone was really doing their best to bring their A game to the court. But of course, we're coming into this tournament with very little preparation as usual. We're doing it point by point, doing in-game adjustments the best that we can,” she said.
But even then, the 30-year-old setter acknowledged the reality they must now face.
“Yes, we came into this tournament with 1–2 weeks of training pero ito ‘yung situation namin ngayon, so what can we do going forward? We have to set our minds to Singapore, which is our do-or-die game.”
[ALSO READ: Jia De Guzman sees SEA Games as culmination of Alas Pilipinas' two-year journey]
With Thailand already through to the semifinals after sweeping Pool A, Alas Women must now win their next assignment against Singapore on Friday at 6:30 p.m. (Manila time) to stay in contention for a medal finish.
(With reports from Mei-Lin Lozada/One Sports)
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.