Jia De Guzman vows Alas Pilipinas will end medal drought by winning SEA Games bronze

The Philippine women’s national volleyball team saw its SEA Games finals hopes dashed after absorbing a straight-sets loss to regional powerhouse Vietnam, 17–25, 14–25, 17–25, in the semifinals of the 2025 Southeast Asian Games at the Indoor Stadium Huamark in Bangkok on Sunday, December 14.

The defeat marked yet another semifinal exit for Alas Pilipinas, but the Filipinas remain in contention for a long-awaited podium finish. They will have another opportunity to end their 20-year SEA Games medal drought when they compete for the bronze medal, which would also mark their best finish in the tournament since 2005, when the Games were hosted on home soil.

Team captain Jia De Guzman assured supporters that Alas Pilipinas will give everything they have in their bid to finally return home with a medal.

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“We know we only have one chance at this podium finish. That’s tomorrow. Of course, we were gunning for a finals appearance, but this time around, our minds are really set on that bronze medal. We will do everything we can to get that,” De Guzman said during a media interaction.

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She also expressed her gratitude to Filipino fans who have stood by the team throughout the tournament.

“To all of our fans, thank you so much for supporting us from day one until this match. We will bounce back tomorrow. We will do everything to represent well, and I hope we will continue to feel your love and support until tomorrow,” she added.

The Philippines is set to face Indonesia in the bronze medal match. Notably, this will be Alas Pilipinas’ fifth consecutive appearance in the bronze medal game, having fallen short in all four of their previous attempts.

Reflecting on the semifinal loss, De Guzman pointed to the need for improved composure and communication on the court.

“I think we need to be more consistent when communicating. There are times when, if the other team scores on us with strong spikes, it really affects us. We have to remember it’s just one point and we can bounce back on the next,” she said.

Regardless of the outcome, the 30-year-old setter emphasized her pride in the team’s effort, highlighting the return of Eya Laure and the timely contributions of Alyssa Solomon, Angel Canino, Shaina Nitura, and Amie Provido.

“Everyone was really brave today. As in, everyone was asking for sets, everyone was doing their best to keep the ball up, and we couldn’t ask for anything more. I think it just comes down to polishing and controlling our basic errors. Hopefully, tomorrow we will be able to execute,” De Guzman concluded.

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