Sports PH News | JS DEV Site

Tag: 2026 AVC Volleyball Nations Cup

  • Niña Ytang is making the most of her Alas Pilipinas opportunity 

    Niña Ytang is making the most of her Alas Pilipinas opportunity 

    For Niña Ytang, the mission has been slightly different.

     

    The former University of the Philippines standout arrived at Alas Pilipinas not focused on individual numbers or instant recognition, but on learning everything she can from the veterans around her.

     

    That mindset has not stopped her from becoming one of the early bright spots for the national team in the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup.

     

    While the spotlight has largely been on the established names guiding the program, Ytang has quietly carved out an important role for herself, providing energy, size, and consistency in the middle as the Philippines navigates a tournament with a relatively new-look roster.

     

    Her introduction to international volleyball could hardly have gone better.

     

    In her first match wearing national colors, Ytang delivered 12 points built on eight attacks and four kill blocks as Alas Pilipinas swept Uzbekistan in straight sets. She followed that performance with another double-digit outing against Australia, producing 13 points highlighted by nine attacks, three service aces, and a block.

     

    The statistics tell only part of the story.

     

    Throughout the opening matches, Ytang offered stability whenever the Philippines needed a spark at the net. Whether through timely blocks, quick attacks, or simply maintaining her composure in extended rallies, the 24-year-old middle blocker showed why the coaching staff trusted her with a spot on the roster.

     

    Yet despite the strong start, Ytang remains focused on growth rather than results.

     

    “I would say marami po akong natutunan, lalo na sa sarili ko,” said the Bantayan, Cebu native.

     

    “Of course, laging andiyan ‘yung mga ates and coaches na laging nag-ga-guide. Sa ngayon, more on lessons lang talaga ‘yung focus ko ngayon.”

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

    Her commitment to the national team was evident even before the tournament began.

     

    Ytang chose to forgo the 2026 PVL Draft to prioritize her Alas Pilipinas campaign, betting that the experience of competing internationally would be more valuable at this stage of her development.

     

    So far, that decision has paid off.

     

    Beyond her personal performances, Ytang believes the team’s biggest challenge moving forward is not talent but cohesion. With several players still adjusting to one another, she sees communication and composure as the areas that will determine how far the Philippines can go in the competition.

     

    “I think it’s the composure and ‘yung connection sa isa’t isa po,” she said.

     

    “Laging communication, lalo na mahirap po na kakasama lang namin, so communication and composure sa loob ng court.”

     

    As Alas Pilipinas continues its campaign, Ytang’s emergence may be one of the tournament’s most encouraging developments. Not because she has become a leading scorer, but because she has embraced the role of a learner while already contributing like a veteran.

     

    For now, every point, every block, and every lesson appears to be moving her one step closer to becoming a long-term fixture in the national team setup.

     

    👉 Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

    📌 Follow our Facebook page Sports PH News today and join the community of passionate sports fans.

  • Alas Pilipinas opens new chapter at AVC Nations Cup amid coaching changes, fresh faces 

    Alas Pilipinas opens new chapter at AVC Nations Cup amid coaching changes, fresh faces 

    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.

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

    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.

     

     

    👉 Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

    📌 Follow our Facebook page Sports PH News today and join the community of passionate sports fans.

  • Alyssa Valdez, Myla Pablo, Trisha Tubu banner retooled Alas Pilipinas pool for AVC Women’s Cup 

    Alyssa Valdez, Myla Pablo, Trisha Tubu banner retooled Alas Pilipinas pool for AVC Women’s Cup 

    When the original core of Alas Pilipinas Women slowly began thinning out ahead of the 2026 AVC Women’s Cup, the national team found itself turning toward a different kind of solution.

     

    Not just younger players. But proven survivors.

     

    Leading that retooled pool are three names from different generations of Philippine volleyball — Alyssa Valdez, Myla Pablo, and Trisha Tubu — players who arrive carrying completely different journeys, yet now share the same responsibility of stabilizing a national team suddenly in transition.

     

    For Valdez, the return marks another chapter in a national team career that has already spanned nearly two decades.

     

    The longtime Creamline star once again answered the call after several former Alas mainstays withdrew from the continental tournament set from June 6 to 14 at the Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur.

     

    Despite years of mileage, injuries, and countless international appearances, Valdez remains one of the country’s most recognizable volleyball figures and among the few players in the pool with extensive national team experience dating back to 2008.

     

    Alongside her comes Pablo, another veteran scorer whose return adds even more stability to the squad.

     

    The former Pocari Sweat star continues to command respect as one of the PVL’s battle-tested veterans, bringing leadership and offensive firepower to a team currently searching for continuity amid major roster changes.

     

    But perhaps the most intriguing inclusion is Tubu.

     

    Unlike Valdez and Pablo, the Farm Fresh Foxies standout enters the national pool carrying the momentum of a breakthrough conference.

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

    Tubu emerged as one of the PVL’s biggest revelations after leading Farm Fresh to a semifinal appearance in the previous conference while finishing as the league’s second-best scorer.

     

    Her explosive rise transformed her from a promising wing spiker into one of the most dangerous local scorers in the professional ranks — making her inclusion one of the most significant additions to the revamped Alas setup.

     

    The national pool also received support from several PVL clubs willing to release players for international duty.

     

    Pablo’s club, Nxled Chameleons, agreed to lend a player to the national team for the first time, while Strong Group Athletics cleared players under its umbrella to participate in the program.

     

    Also joining the pool are Creamline libero Kyla Atienza, Nxled’s Julyana Tolentino, and Farm Fresh contributors Frances Xynia Molina.

     

    Several collegiate standouts were likewise tapped, including Tin Ubaldo, Clarisse Loresco, Jazlyn Ellarina, Lhoriz Tudao, Niña Ytang, Natalie Estreller, and Lara Mae Silva.

     

    Four players from NU Lady Bulldogs were also included in the training pool.

     

    But as Alas Pilipinas prepares for another turbulent international campaign, much of the attention now falls on the trio tasked to steady the program — the veteran leadership of Valdez and Pablo, and the rising confidence of Tubu.

     

    Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

     

    Follow our Facebook page Sports PH News today and be part of a growing community of passionate basketball fans!

  • Jia De Guzman, Bella Belen, Alyssa Solomon among key Alas Pilipinas stars to skip AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup 

    Jia De Guzman, Bella Belen, Alyssa Solomon among key Alas Pilipinas stars to skip AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup 

    Just weeks before the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup in Candon City, Alas Pilipinas is suddenly facing a different kind of battle — not against another country, but against time and player availability.

     

    What was initially expected to be a continuation of the national team program following the Southeast Asian Games has instead turned into a major rebuilding process after several key members of the previous Alas core declined invitations to return.

     

    Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Anthony Liao confirmed that many of the players from the SEA Games squad, including longtime team captain Jia De Guzman, have already informed the federation that they will not be joining the upcoming AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup set for June 6 to 14 in Candon City.

     

    “The old Alas. We invited them, maybe they’re not available, or they’re not willing to play. They said no, eh. They said they are not interested in playing anymore, so wala na,” said Liao.

     

    “Yung naglaro ng SEA Games, we invited all of them, they said they will not play anymore,” he added.

     

    The withdrawals have left the national team program scrambling for answers less than a month before hosting one of the biggest women’s volleyball tournaments in the region.

     

    Aside from De Guzman, Liao revealed that Bella Belen, Alyssa Solomon, and Maddie Madayag have also opted to skip national team duties this time around.

     

    “Jia already replied to Ricky Palou. She’s not playing. Same with Maddie, kasi ang kumo-contact si Taj eh, ‘yung team manager. Ini-inform lang niya ako kung sinong umoo, sinong humindi. Even Belen, nag-no. Solomon daw next year na lang,” he said.

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

    The uncertainty does not end there.

     

    Other members of the SEA Games squad — including Eya Laure, Vanie Gandler, Mars Alba, and Alleiah Malaluan — have yet to fully commit as the federation continues to piece together a workable pool.

     

    At the same time, some players willing to join are now dealing with physical setbacks.

     

    Rising star Shaina Nitura reportedly wanted to suit up for Alas Pilipinas but was forced to beg off because of an undisclosed injury, while Justine Jazareno has expressed interest in joining though no formal commitment has been finalized.

     

    “Nitura naman, injured pero gustong maglaro. ‘Yung Akari, Alba, Sharma, Jazareno, walang reply. Pero I was able to talk to Jazareno sa Candon nung All-Star, she’s willing to play,” Liao shared.

    With the original core slowly thinning out, the federation is now shifting its attention toward younger and available reinforcements.

     

    Liao disclosed that discussions are ongoing with De La Salle University regarding the possible participation of reigning UAAP champions Angel Canino, Shevana Laput, and Amie Provido.

     

    “Definitely, we will be adding. Kasi, right now we only have 11 to 12 players, eh. So the plan really is to have a pool of 20 to 25 players. We’ll talk with the coaches and Coach Tai,” Liao said.

    The timing could hardly be more challenging for the national team.

     

    Recently appointed Alas Pilipinas head coach Tai Bundit is also expected to miss the next two to three months after figuring in a car accident in Thailand, further complicating preparations for the host nation.

     

    Instead of building continuity from the SEA Games campaign, Alas Pilipinas now finds itself rushing to rebuild nearly from scratch — hoping to gather enough healthy and committed players before the AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup finally arrives.

     

    Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

    📌  Follow our Facebook page Sports News PH today and be part of a growing community of passionate basketball fans!