Captain Jia Morado-de Guzman reflects on the experience of leading Alas Pilipinas.
In the eyes of every Filipino volleyball fan, having one Jia de Guzman on the national team should be a no-brainer.
Her resumé already speaks for itself: nine championships across the UAAP with Ateneo, and the Premier Volleyball league with Creamline, coupled with countless Best Setter and Finals Most Valuable Player awards, and a two-year stint in Japan with the Denso Airybees.
If we’ll base it on an eye test, then Jia’s setting could be compared to that of a maestro, being a playmaker who studies what type of sets her spikers prefer, or which player should the ball go to in the heat of a long rally. Really, this is just a long-winded way of explaining why Jia’s name often comes up first during national team discussions.
Unbeknownst to many, however, there was once a time where “Jia-mazing” didn’t feel that she was deserving of a national team spot. In particular, it was during the formation of the rebooted national team program now known as Alas Pilipinas back in 2024.
“Kasi, actually, I wasn’t very sure if I wanted to come back to the national team last year. Hindi naman sa set na akong ayaw ko, pero parang 50-50 pa,” Jia opened up when The GAME asked about her leadership experience with Alas.
According to Jia, the formation of Alas came amid her first season with Denso in the Japan V.League. Despite everything that she’s proven in the Philippines, Jia admits being lost during this time as she felt like a complete beginner trying to grasp the Japanese style of volleyball.
Overwhelmed by the blistering speed and precision of the Japanese players, Jia found herself wondering how to respond if the opportunity to represent the Philippines came up again.
“Nung few months before ako bumalik, I kinda felt na ‘Oh my gosh! Eto ‘yung panahon na they call up people for the national team!’,” Jia recalls. “So sabi ko, ‘If I get that call, ano ‘yung sasagot ko?’”
“Kasi parang feeling ko wala pa akong mauuwi from Japan. Parang ang dami ko pang kailangan, wala pa akong ko hindi pa ako worthy of coming back and saying na, ‘Nanggaling ako ng Japan. Ito ‘yung natutunan ko’.”
It was the player pool that convinced Jia to change her mind, with young stars including Angel Canino, Bella Belen, Alyssa Solomon, Thea Gagate, Eya Laure, and many more being considered for the initial Alas Pilipinas roster.
For Jia, the chance to play and guide these young stars was too good to pass up and was the sign that she needed in order to accept another national team stint.
“Parang, I didn’t think I would get the chance to play with talents like Angel Canino, kahit sila Eya and everyone else. ‘Yung sila Shaina [Nitura] now this year, parang it made me excited to learn also from them kasi watching them from UAAP also, and everywhere else,” she said.
Progress made
The rest, as they say, is history. A year since feeling that whirlwind of emotions, Jia de Guzman remains one of Alas Pilipinas’ veteran leaders along with co-captain and batchmate, Dawn Macandili-Catindig.
“So kami ni Dawn, we’re very happy na exposed kami sa generation nila, kasi although medyo nakakatanda talaga kasi grabe ‘yung pagtrato nila sa amin,” Jia says in jest. “Hindi pa rin namin ma-accept last year kasi na kami ‘yung seniors ng team, pero habang tumatagal, parang we saw ‘yung guidance na pwede naming mabigay sa generation nila.”
“Kasi dadating din naman yung point na sila na rin ‘yung mag-lead at kami naman ‘yung manonood. So we just wanna do our best to guide them to fulfill that role in the long run, kasi may mga next generation pa na aakyat, and magiging trabaho nila to lead them.”
Alas Pilipinas has won a total of six medals since their formation last year, starting with a historic bronze medal on home soil during the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup, and another pair of second-runner up finishes at the Southeast Asian V.League.
A year later, their Challenge Cup bronze would be followed up by a silver that shone like gold at the now-renamed AVC Nations Cup, to go along with extending their podium finishes at the SEA V.League.
“For me, what’s more fulfilling is really seeing how much the team has grown since last year, kasi that’s something that we have actually been looking for decades na,” Jia said.
Continuity, the Alas captain said, has been crucial to their success, given that much of last year’s core was brought back for this year’s national team window. For her, it’s also a stark contrast to years past, where each tournament meant parading an entirely new group of players.
“So this year we’re on our second year in Alas and we’re already showing results; actually nung first year pa lang, especially with the pool of athletes now, the new generation. Iba talaga sila, kasi they’re more physically fit, and capable of fulfilling ‘yung system ni Coach Jorge [de Brito],” Jia said.
But that’s not to say that Jia and Alas are resting on their laurels, especially as the Philippines continues to gain success internationally. For every win and every breakthrough, there is a need to improve and build on what is already helping them towards success.
Among other things, Jia hopes that the trend of continuity will stay in place, along with the ample time to train and build rapport on and off the court. As she has always said, such mileage will be key if the Philippines hopes to catch up with their international counterparts.
Continuity and time aside, Jia also pointed out the importance of a large player pool, another practice that has been adopted by top national teams, given that athletes are still prone to wear and tear at the end of the day.
“It hasn’t been done before in the Philippines, dati kasi saktuhan lang na 12 to 14 ang kinukuha to play from May to October, that’s very hard. Kasi imagine, within the span of three months, naka four tournaments na kami,” Jia said as she recalled Alas’ 2025 campaigns in the Nations Cup, VTV International Cup, and SEA V.League.
“That’s the reason why we need a pool para the Philippine national team always has players that are 100 percent. ‘Yan ‘yung medyo tina-try namin ipaintindi sa new generation of players ngayon and also sa bansa. That’s only one thing na kailangan namin pero mayroon pang iba na sana mas makatulong in the long run.”
As for any lingering concerns toward chemistry, the captain pointed out how there is no set lineup during national team practices. According to her, daily practice sessions involve a rotating group of players, which helps them get accustomed to meshing with different playing styles.
“Kaya pagdating sa loob ng game, kunwari may naka-plano na sila coach kung sino ‘yung magsa-start today. Tapos biglang in the middle of the game, kailangan may ipasok na ibang player. We have no problem with that,” Jia explained.
“Parang hindi namin kailangan magkapaan, hindi namin kailangan mailang sa isa’t isa. And we can still do the system that coach wants us to do. And then at the same time, the next day, it’s also not guaranteed kung sino yung maging first, second, sixth, kasi siyempre idedepende rin natin sa physical condition ng mga tao.
“Not just that, ‘yung emotional, physiological, psychological. Everything is always put into consideration.”
Safe space
Away from the X’s and O’s of volleyball, one thing that Jia de Guzman and Alas Pilipinas have made sure to establish is a safe space within the team. If you follow the national team, chances are you might have already caught a glimpse of their sisterhood on social media.
At the end of the day, such a safe space is necessary for these athletes, who are also prone to caving into the pressure of being a national team athlete.
“Pagka off the court kami, although we do still talk about volleyball, we still acknowledge na we have mga bata, we have people who want to let off some steam,” said Jia. “At the end of the day, we’re just girls who like what we do, who like playing with each other on the court, and we have a common passion for volleyball.”
“So nirerespeto namin na everyone has their own way of coping with pressure and tournaments and games na tuloy-tuloy. Ang ganda lang ng balance na kahit medyo malalaki ang age difference namin, parang kaya pa rin ng lahat makisama isa’t isa.”
How does this dynamic work exactly? For starters, Jia shared that she and co-captain Dawn are big listeners, which allows their younger stars to release any emotional baggage in a healthy way.
“Sanay kasi kami na in our own teams ‘yung parang laro, laro, laro. Parang yung iba kasi, parang may mga nakikimkim sila which makes it harder for them to play. So minsan nararamdaman namin yun kapag kami dinadalang something ‘yung mga players,” Jia explains.
Sometimes, a simple kamustahan, or a few words of encouragement, already goes a long way, according to the national team captain.
“Kunwari nanggaling kami sa talo or someone feels like they didn’t play up to par or play like how they wanted to play, ‘yung simpleng sabihin mo lang, ‘Iniwan mo ba ‘yung best mo sa court? Opo ate’, okay na ‘yun,” she shares.
“Parang wag mo nang…okay damdamin mo ngayon ‘yung lungkot or ‘yung inis or frustration pero let it go. Kasi to us, you played well, tsaka may laro pa tayo bukas may laro pa tayo bukas…parang to keep things light also in the national team. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
A part of establishing a safe space means having one’s go-to person, or an inner circle that you can be more comfortable with, and it’s no different for Alas Pilipinas, according to Jia.
“Parang you have people you’re comfortable sharing with. Kunwari si Eya, ‘yung mga anak niya na outside hitters, kanya ‘yan. Then si Dawn, she’s handling the liberos and other people,” the captain shared.
Further strengthening this bond is the fact that most international tournaments are held abroad, meaning that the Nationals will have to stick together in a foreign land. Based on what we have seen, it’s safe to say that they’re doing quite well as group off the court.
“Ayun pakalat-kalat lang kami, actually pag nasa hotel kami, pakalat-kalat lang kami sa mga kwarto nang isa’t isa. Retreat ‘yun, silent retreat ‘yun eh!”
The path ahead
Having witnessed several iterations of the national team, Jia de Guzman is proud of the upward trajectory of Alas Pilipinas, whose grit and dedication to the flag are backed up by a total of six medals throughout two years.
It’s true that there are still a lot of kinks to be ironed out, but in her view, the national team’s direction is pointed in the right way.
“‘Yung ibang national teams or coaches parang every year they don’t know who’s going to show up for the Philippines. Parang nagugulat sila na ‘Oh iba na naman ‘to’. Parang ngayon lang ulit na they knew who was coming, and that’s actually a good thing for us kasi it means we’re building something long term na,” Jia said.
The captain also pointed out the importance of having collegiate stars in Alas, as it allows the country to maximize its talent pool. After all, it’s a win-win situation, with the Philippines securing a future star and the player getting discovered by foreign league scouts.
“Tinitignan na tayo ng ibang bansa as forces for Asian imports also, so they also acknowledge na the Philippines has the talent or potential to play international. So yun din yung isang nilu-look forward ng mga bata ngayon…there’s something higher pa,” Jia said, with the likes of Maddie Madayag, Marck Espejo, and Bryan Bagunas being snapped up as Asian imports.
Still, Jia made sure to keep things realistic, stressing that progress isn’t linear on the international stage. While it’s true that getting medals is a tangible indicator of growth, Jia knows that they have a timeline and a set of milestones they are following for the long haul. If anything, this is why she and her national teammates are sticking to the process, even with increasing expectations following their podium finishes.
“To us, from now until five to 10 years from now, alam na namin kung ano ‘yung progress na hinahabol namin,” Jia said. “Yung number one is to consistently beat Indonesia kasi sila talaga ‘yung katapat namin the past years.”
“And then pag nagawa na namin ‘yung consistency, then we go Vietnam. Na parang get a set, [then] get two sets, get three sets, and then win the game consistently. Parang ganoon yung steps na tinitignan namin compared to ‘yung expectations din ng mga tao.”
Up next for Jia de Guzman and Alas Pilipinas will be the 33rd Southeast Asian Games this December, where they hope to snap a two-decade drought in the women’s volleyball tournament. Again, while Alas has grown tremendously, the job is still far from finished.
“We’re all very optimistic, but at the same time, hindi rin kami pwede maging complacent because everyone knows how important the SEA Games is — Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand especially,” Jia said.
“And we’re also expecting other teams to join, I think, the SEA Games. So it’s always a different competition, it’s also do-or-die games. So we really have to prepare the best way that we can leading into that.”
As for Jia herself? She’s simply glad to have accepted the call to join Alas Pilipinas. The path may still have some bumps, yes, but she’s finally part of a program that looks focused on sustainability and long-term success.
Not only that, but she is also a guiding light for Philippine volleyball’s next generation of stars, with her leadership already being recognized by these young guns.
“Seeing and hearing ‘yung mga pinanggalingan ng mga girls sa kanya–kanyang teams, parang you can’t help but feel quite protective din of everyone kasi you hear about their dreams, their aspirations, and syempre ‘yung mga stress nila sa buhay din, and you just want to create a safe space in the national team.”
Banner images from the Southeast Asian Volleyball Association on Facebook.