By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Philippine women’s volleyball team skipper Jia De Guzman lauded her teammates for their gallant stand in the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup.
The Filipina spikers failed to advance to the semifinals after yielding to Southeast Asian powerhouse Vietnam, 25-14, 25-22, 25-21, on Friday night, July 5, but the Nationals showed resilience in trying to match the firepower of their more experienced rivals.
“I’m really proud of my team. We really gave it our all,” said De Guzman during a post-game interview.
“Every point, every set, binigay talaga namin lahat nang maibibigay namin… We’re just gonna keep playing, keep trying to get better,” she added.
Unlike in their stint at the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup last May where they only had a few weeks to prepare, the Nationals had a full month to train for this tournament this time on top of additional reinforcements like Bella Belen, Alyssa Solomon and Jema Galanza.
Sisi Rondina unloaded 15 points to pace the PH team while Angel Canino added 12 in a performance that validated her new-found status.
They showed their tenacity against the Vietnamese, keeping the game close in the last two sets before surrendering to their more cohesive rivals bannered by Nguyen Thi Buc Tuyen, who exploded for 30 points.
But De Guzman has a request for volleyball officials – keep the core of the team for upcoming international stints, not only to build the team’s strength but also to catch up with foreign squads who have been playing together for the past years.
