Alas Pilipinas enters the 2026 AVC Women’s Nations Cup carrying far different circumstances from the squad that captured the attention of Asian volleyball over the past two years.
When the Philippines opens its campaign against Uzbekistan on Saturday at the Candon City Arena, it will do so with a revamped roster, a new coaching staff, and a renewed focus on developing the next wave of national team talent.
The tournament, scheduled from June 6 to 14 in Candon City, serves as the Philippines’ first major international assignment since a turbulent offseason that reshaped the women’s program.
At the center of those changes is newly appointed head coach Shaq Delos Santos, who takes over national team duties after a series of developments altered the program’s direction.
Former head coach Jorge Souza de Brito has been involved in an ongoing dispute with the Philippine National Volleyball Federation, while longtime consultant Tai Bundit has been unable to actively lead preparations after being involved in a road accident earlier this year.
The coaching transition comes at a time when many of the players who formed the core of the national team’s resurgence have opted to sit out this tournament.
Absent from the roster are several familiar faces who represented the Philippines in recent AVC competitions and the Southeast Asian Games, including Bella Belen, Angel Canino, Jia De Guzman, Fifi Sharma, and other key members of the squad that helped elevate Alas Pilipinas’ standing in Asia.
Their absence has opened the door for a different-looking national team—one that blends experienced veterans with some of the country’s most promising collegiate stars.
Leading the veterans’ group is Alyssa Valdez, whose return provides leadership and experience to a youthful lineup. Valdez’s inclusion adds familiarity to a roster that features several players still transitioning from the collegiate ranks to the international stage.
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The selection process for this AVC campaign leaned heavily on player availability, ongoing club commitments, health considerations, and long-term national team planning. With several established stars resting or unavailable, the coaching staff turned to emerging talents from the collegiate scene and younger prospects who now have an opportunity to prove they belong on the continental stage.
That makes the Nations Cup as much a developmental tournament as it is a competition for results.
The challenge will be immediate.
The Philippines was drawn into Pool A alongside Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Australia, and Uzbekistan, creating one of the tournament’s more competitive groups.
Opening against Uzbekistan presents an important opportunity for Alas Pilipinas to establish momentum before facing the heavier favorites later in the preliminary round.
For Delos Santos and his squad, however, success may be measured by more than wins and losses.
The Nations Cup offers a glimpse into the program’s future—a chance to evaluate new combinations, accelerate the development of younger players, and maintain the progress that Philippine volleyball has worked hard to achieve over the past several years.
As a new-look Alas Pilipinas takes the floor in Ilocos Sur, the focus shifts from the stars who helped build the program to the players now tasked with carrying it forward.
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