Jia De Guzman shares emotional post after leading Alas Pilipinas to a historic silver medal in the AVC Nations Cup 

The Philippines women’s volleyball national team made history in the recently concluded 2025 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Nations Cup by securing the silver medal, despite losing to Vietnam in the finals on Saturday, June 14, at Dong Anh Arena in Hanoi.

Alas Pilipinas were dominated by the hosts, falling 15–25, 17–25, 14–25. Despite the loss, the Filipinas registered a historic runner-up finish, which also propelled them 10 spots up in the world rankings—from 56th to 46th. This marked the first time they had played in a championship final since the 1997 Southeast Asian Games.

Team captain Jia De Guzman led from the front, earning the Best Setter award for the second consecutive year. The 30-year-old took to Instagram to pay tribute to her teammates and coaches, expressing pride in how much they have grown in recent years.

“It takes time and loads of patience to build a culture that focuses more on the journey and growth over immediate results. Where other people see only wins or losses, achievements or failures, perfection or mistakes—we see all of it as necessary parts of the process of becoming a better team.

This is what ‘gaining experience as a team’ means. This is why we try to keep the same players, and also add more to the pool,” De Guzman wrote.

#AlasPilipinas captain Jia De Guzman emphasized the importance of embracing the process of reaching one’s goal. In her realization, small things are the stepping stones to greatness, which proved true after they earned yet another historic silver finish in the 2025 #AVCNationsCup pic.twitter.com/ihAAfNz5tF

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) June 15, 2025

“I can’t fully express how proud and inspired I am to witness each member of this team grow every day as athletes and coaches. Thank you for continuing to show up and give your best even when things get hard. I love you all so much.

To our families, loved ones, team sponsors, and the amazing Filipino community around the world—this win is for you too.

Step by step, Philippines. On to the next.”

In addition to the silver medal, three Alas Pilipinas stars—Jia De Guzman, Angel Canino, and Dell Palomata—earned individual honors for their standout performances throughout the tournament.

De Guzman won Best Setter for the second straight year, while Canino added to her growing résumé by winning Best Outside Spiker—notably, she had won Best Opposite Hitter last year. Palomata was honored with the Best Middle Blocker award.

Alas Pilipinas face a packed schedule ahead in 2025. They will next prepare for the VTV International Women’s Volleyball Cup in Vietnam, followed by the Southeast Asian Volleyball League.

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.