Alas Pilipinas eyes strong AVC Nations Cup run in Vietnam

Alas Pilipinas arrive in Vietnam for the AVC Nations Cup. –ALAS PILIPINAS PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas hopes to pick up where it left off as the women’s national volleyball team aims to sustain—and even surpass—last year’s historic medal finish in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Nations Cup, starting Saturday in Vietnam.

The 16 young Filipino spikers landed safely in Vietnam on Wednesday morning, looking to carry over the momentum from a podium finish in the birth of Alas Pilipinas—the country’s first AVC medal in 63 years—at the former Challenge Cup held at Rizal Memorial Coliseum last year.

READ: Rookies make Alas Pilipinas roster for AVC Women’s Nations Cup

Alas head coach Jorge Souza De Brito is banking on the core of last year’s squad, including reigning league Best Setter and captain Jia De Guzman and Best Opposite Spiker Angel Canino.

Also suiting up for the national team are mainstays Dawn Macandili-Catindig and fellow libero Jen Nierva, as well as Bella Belen, Alyssa Solomon, Eya Laure, Vanie Gandler, Thea Gagate, Fifi Sharma, Dell Palomata, and Julia Coronel—all of whom also contributed to two bronze medals in the SEA V.League last year.

UAAP Rookie of the Year Shaina Nitura of Adamson, Far Eastern University freshman Cla Loresco, National University’s two-time Best Setter Lams Lamina, and Capital1’s Leila Cruz are making their Alas debuts.

Nitura, who shattered scoring records in UAAP Season 87, joins fellow Rookie of the Year awardees Laure, Belen, and Canino in a young but potent Alas lineup.

The team opens its Pool B campaign against Mongolia on Saturday. They then face Indonesia on Sunday and Iran on Monday, before a break on Tuesday.

Alas wraps up the group stage with matches against New Zealand on June 11 and Kazakhstan on June 12.

Belen, along with new Capital1 coach De Brito—who holds the No. 1 pick—will miss the PVL Rookie Draft night on Sunday due to their commitment to the national team.