Jia De Guzman confirms return to Creamline after two-year stint in Japan

Philippine volleyball star Jia De Guzman will make her long-awaited return to the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) and suit up once again for her former team, the Creamline Cool Smashers, after spending nearly two years playing for the Denso Airybees in the Japan Volleyball League (JVL).

De Guzman confirmed her return to Creamline during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday, June 17. However, she emphasized that despite her PVL comeback, her main focus remains on leading Alas Pilipinas.

“Of course, I’m going back to Creamline, but I went to a team that also knows I have responsibilities for the flag. It’s really national team period. Klaro naman po ‘yung usapan namin ng Rebisco management—that while the Alas players are needed by the national team, our focus is here,” De Guzman stated.

Jia De Guzman is all in for the flag. With her experience and leadership, she’s helping shape the next generation of volleyball aces of Alas Pilipinas. Salamat, Kapitan! pic.twitter.com/CRGLqp7qZO

— Volleyball Philippines (@volleyball_phi) June 17, 2025

Notably, the last time De Guzman donned the Creamline jersey was during the 2023 PVL Invitational Conference, where the Cool Smashers lost the knockout title game to Japanese guest team Kurashiki Ablaze. She soon moved to Denso Airybees in Japan, taking her talents overseas and spending two seasons with the club. She played a key role in leading the team to the 2023–24 Japan V.League Division 1 Women’s V.Cup title, before capping her stint with a silver medal finish in the 72nd Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament.

The 30-year-old setter expressed gratitude to Creamline’s management for allowing her to focus on Alas Pilipinas, especially after helping lead the country to a historic silver medal in the 2025 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Nations Cup—the Philippines’ first podium finish on the Asian stage in 64 years.

“So right now, I’m very grateful because they are allowing me to focus entirely on Alas Pilipinas. We know that we have a responsibility to the country. I’m very grateful to Creamline. It’s not just me in the pool from the Rebisco family—it’s also Maddie Madayag and now Tia Andaya. The management has been very clear and supportive, because they know that when they send us to the national team, we come back with better experiences that can help Creamline and Choco Mucho in their campaigns,” she added.

De Guzman recently won her second consecutive Best Setter award in the Nations Cup. Her return makes Creamline even more formidable, as she brings with her eight PVL Best Setter awards, four PVL Finals MVP honors, and seven PVL championships with the Cool Smashers.

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