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Tag: SEA V.League

  • Taka Minowa begins Alas Pilipinas chapter with blend of veterans, new faces in SEA V.League 

    Taka Minowa begins Alas Pilipinas chapter with blend of veterans, new faces in SEA V.League 

    A new coach may be calling the shots, but Alas Pilipinas Women is banking on a familiar foundation as it opens a new chapter under Taka Minowa in the 2026 SEA V.League.

     

    Set to make his official debut as Philippine women’s national team head coach, Minowa will lead a squad built around continuity, keeping the core that has represented the country in recent international tournaments while injecting three fresh faces into the mix for Leg 1 of the regional competition from July 31 to August 2 in Hanoi, Vietnam.

     

    Already settled in the Vietnamese capital ahead of the tournament, the Filipinas will lean on chemistry as 13 players from previous Alas Pilipinas squads return to represent the country.

     

    The biggest additions come on the wings, where former PVL Most Valuable Player Erika Santos joins National University standouts Vange Alinsug and Celine Marsh as prospective national team debutants. The trio gives Minowa additional firepower alongside established scorers Bella Belen, Eya Laure, Vanie Gandler, and Alyssa Solomon.

     

    Veteran setter Jia de Guzman continues to captain the squad and will direct the offense with fellow playmaker Mars Alba orchestrating the attack.

     

    At the middle, Thea Gagate, Fifi Sharma, Dell Palomata, and Niña Ytang provide the team’s imposing net presence, while Dawn Catindig, Justine Jazareno, and Jen Nierva anchor the defensive unit as liberos.

     

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    Although 16 players traveled with the team, only 14 can be activated for each tournament leg, with two athletes serving as reserves.

     

    Several notable names were left out of the roster, including reigning Leg 1 Best Outside Hitter Angel Canino, reigning UAAP Best Middle Blocker Amie Provido, reigning UAAP Best Libero Shaira Jardio, and 2026 PVL Rookie Draft top overall pick Lams Lamina.

     

    Minowa’s first assignment will hardly be an easy introduction.

     

    The Philippines opens its campaign against host Vietnam, last year’s SEA V.League Leg 2 champion, before taking on defending Leg 1 winner Thailand and regional contender Indonesia in what promises to be an early measuring stick for the Japanese tactician’s system.

     

    Following the Hanoi leg, Alas Pilipinas Women will immediately shift its focus to Leg 2 in Chiang Mai, Thailand from August 7 to 9, where Minowa hopes to further establish his identity while continuing to build toward bigger international competitions in the coming years.

     

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  • Josh Ybañez rallies young Alas Pilipinas ahead of must-win clash with Indonesia 

    Josh Ybañez rallies young Alas Pilipinas ahead of must-win clash with Indonesia 

    The opening-day loss may have put Alas Pilipinas Men in a difficult position, but Josh Ybañez believes the tournament is far from over.

     

    With a semifinal berth hanging in the balance, the veteran libero challenged the national team’s youthful core to quickly move on from its heartbreaking five-set defeat to Cambodia and embrace an even bigger test against regional powerhouse Indonesia on Friday in the 6th SEA V.Cup at the Candon City Arena.

     

    For Ybañez, who experienced his own national team debut just last year during the FIVB Men’s World Championship and the Philippines’ bronze-medal finish in the Southeast Asian Games, the current campaign is about helping a new generation adjust to the pressures of international volleyball.

     

    Despite nursing an ankle sprain suffered on the eve of the tournament, the three-time UAAP MVP still suited up and anchored the Philippine floor defense, refusing to let the injury keep him from representing the country.

     

    “Thanks to the painkillers, I was able to push through. Honestly, even before the competition, I had already set my mindset. I knew it was only a mild sprain. It was painful, but once the game starts, it’s different—you don’t really feel it as much. I just fought through it,” said Ybañez in Filipino.

    The Filipinos pushed Cambodia to the limit before absorbing a 25-23, 28-30, 25-20, 22-25, 15-8 defeat, a result that leaves them needing a strong performance against Indonesia to keep their semifinal hopes alive.

     

    Ybañez, however, refused to dwell on the setback and instead acknowledged the quality of their opening-day opponent.

     

    “Every team is competitive, including Cambodia. Credit to them because they played really well. There were a lot of factors behind our loss, but they deserve the credit because they had a great game,” he added.

     

    The challenge only gets tougher against an Indonesian squad that has long established itself as one of Southeast Asia’s volleyball powerhouses, boasting multiple SEA Games titles and entering the match as the defending SEA V.Cup Leg 2 champion.

     

    Still, Ybañez believes the inexperience of the current Philippine roster should not overshadow the progress it has already shown.

     

    “We came into this tournament with zero expectations because this is a new team made up mostly of young players. I’m really proud of them because we fought until the end. Now, our 

    focus shifts to our next game against Indonesia, and we’ll do our best to give them a good fight,” said Ybañez.

     

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    The rebuilding squad also found encouraging signs in the emergence of several new faces.

    Jude Garcia made an immediate impact in his long-awaited indoor national team debut, finishing with 20 points after years of starring in beach volleyball and the Spikers’ Turf.

     

    “We’ll stick to Coach (Angiolino) Frigoni’s game plan and follow what he wants us to do. We’re going to prepare well because Indonesia is a tough team. Whatever effort we gave today, we’ll have to double or even triple it in our next match,” said Garcia.

     

    Middle blocker Joshua Magalaman also turned heads with a team-high 21 points built on 15 attacks, four blocks, and two service aces, but pointed to one glaring area the team must address before facing Indonesia.

     

    “As a team, we just need to cut down on our errors because that’s really where we lost. We committed too many mistakes. There were also times when they would go on scoring runs and we couldn’t stop their momentum. Reducing our errors is the biggest thing we need to improve,” said Magalaman.

     

    With their backs against the wall, Alas Pilipinas now heads into Friday’s showdown knowing that cleaner execution—and the resilience shown by veterans like Ybañez—could determine whether their SEA V.Cup campaign continues beyond the group stage.

     

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  • New-look Alas Men shocked by Cambodia in SEA V.League opener 

    New-look Alas Men shocked by Cambodia in SEA V.League opener 

    A revamped Alas Pilipinas Men’s squad learned the hard way that there are no easy matches in Southeast Asian volleyball anymore.

     

    Making their first appearance together under a retooled roster, the Filipinos were stunned by an inspired Cambodia side, 25-23, 28-30, 25-20, 22-25, 15-8, on Wednesday in the opening match of the 6th Men’s SEA V.League at the Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur.

     

    The defeat spoiled the impressive national team debuts of several newcomers, including La Salle middle blocker Josh Magalaman and five-time Spikers’ Turf MVP Jude Garcia, who provided much of the offensive firepower throughout the grueling five-set battle.

     

    Magalaman announced his arrival on the international stage with a team-high 21 points built on 15 attacks, four blocks, and two service aces.

     

    Garcia was equally impressive in his first indoor appearance for the national team, finishing with 20 points on 18 attacks, one block, and one ace.

     

    Despite those performances, Alas Pilipinas struggled to close out key stretches against a Cambodian squad that showed just how much it has improved over the past year.

     

    The Philippines found itself in danger of falling behind by two sets after Cambodia claimed the opening frame, but the hosts responded with one of the tournament’s most dramatic sets.

     

    Holding a comfortable 24-21 lead in the second, Alas appeared ready to level the match before Cambodia erased three consecutive set points and even earned an opportunity to take a commanding two-set advantage after back-to-back Philippine errors made it 25-24.

     

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    The hosts refused to fold.

     

    A tense exchange followed as both teams traded momentum well into extended play before Alas finally converted its fifth set point, with team captain Lloyd Josafat delivering a timely block to seal a hard-earned 30-28 victory.

     

    The match remained evenly contested as Cambodia regained control in the third set before Alas answered once more in the fourth, forcing a deciding fifth set after a 25-22 win.

     

    However, the momentum quickly disappeared when the final frame began.

     

    Cambodia raced to a commanding 4-0 start and never allowed the Philippines to recover, stretching the lead to as many as eight points before completing one of the biggest victories in the country’s recent volleyball history.

     

    The result marked a dramatic reversal from last year’s SEA V.League, where the Philippines swept both of its meetings against Cambodia during the visitors’ tournament debut.

     

    This time, Cambodia returned with a more experienced and composed lineup, proving its rapid progress by earning its first victory over Alas Pilipinas in the competition.

     

    The loss immediately places the Philippines in a difficult position in the short tournament format, with the Nationals now needing a strong response against Indonesia on Thursday to keep their semifinal hopes alive.

     

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