Alas skipper Jia De Guzman calls on Philippines’ best as 2029 FIVB  Worlds prep begins

The road to the 2029 FIVB Women’s World Championship has officially begun for Alas Pilipinas Women — and team captain Jia De Guzman is determined that this time, the country won’t be settling for half-strength lineups.

Over the past year, the national squad has showcased flashes of brilliance in international tournaments. Rising collegiate stars like Bella Belen, Angel Canino, and Alyssa Solomon have donned the tricolors, while professionals such as Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips, and Tia Andaya have also taken turns carrying the flag. Yet, rarely have they all shared the same court at the same time, often leaving the team just short of its full potential.

For De Guzman, the next four years present a rare chance to unite all of Philippine volleyball’s talent under one banner.

“This is the kind of program we’ve been waiting for years. It’s inspiring also for the next generation to come in. Right now is a really good time to come into Alas and show the world what we’ve got,” said the veteran setter. 

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She emphasized that the program can only move forward if the best possible version of the team comes together — a group composed not only of the country’s brightest names but also of hungry young athletes willing to learn and grow.

“We need the best of the best talaga, not just the best of the rest. We need people who want to work for the country, who want to learn from us also, ‘yung team, training with the best talents from high school, from college.

“Ang laking bagay sa amin to invite everyone na sumali sa ganitong klaseng programa ngayon,” she added.

But beyond the players, De Guzman also issued a wider call to action — one that extends to the entire volleyball community.

“Hopefully all of the teams, all of the clubs, all of the universities can support us behind this because the world is already seeing how good the Philippines is,” she said. “We have so much potential talaga. We want to show up, we want to compete and I think we can only do this now that we’re given the time to prepare.”

For a country eager to see its women’s volleyball team finally take its place on the world stage, the message is clear: the countdown to 2029 starts now, and everyone has a role to play. 

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