In just their second game of the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup, the Alas Pilipinas Women have already shown remarkable progress.
Jia De Guzman, the national team’s ace setter, praised her squad’s impressive in-game adjustments after a decisive four-set victory over India on Friday night at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The match scores read 22-25, 25-21, 25-17, and 25-18, highlighting the team’s ability to bounce back from early setbacks.
“What I'm really proud of is my team because everyone was really ready to step up and sobrang bilis naming naka-adjust in-game,” said De Guzman after the victory.
“India was very challenging, a little bit more challenging than Australia kasi na-scout na nila kami based on our game yesterday. I’m just really proud of this team,” she added.
The Filipinas’ resilience was first showcased in their opening match against Australia. Despite losing a narrow lead late in the first set, they rallied to win the next three sets, securing their first victory.
Against India, Alas Pilipinas started strong with a 10-3 lead but faltered late in the first set, giving India a 1-0 advantage. However, the team quickly regrouped, dominating the next three sets to secure their second win and top spot in Pool A with a 2-0 record.
“I think in the first set we made a lot of unforced errors kasi nakadikit naman kami sa kanila in terms of attacks, in terms of blocks,” said De Guzman, who is an eight-time PVL Best Setter.
“But then yun yung tina-try din naming i-work on now to lessen our errors and also work on the in-game adjustments para agad agad kaming makabawi,” she added.
De Guzman emphasized that their main focus was on adapting during matches, especially since they had never faced these teams before.
“Our main focus today was in-game adjustments,” she said. “We’re going up against teams we haven’t played before; we’ve only seen them in videos. It’s different watching them and playing against them on the court. Thankfully, our team adjusts quickly.”
With their continued ability to adapt and overcome challenges, the Alas Pilipinas Women are proving to be a formidable force in the tournament.
