NATIONAL team season is already in full swing for Alas Pilipinas and all of its teams in both beach and indoor play.
While the men ramp up preparations for the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in September, the women have also hit the ground running ahead of a pair of continental meets in June alone.
READ: Laput, Provido set to join La Salle teammate Canino in Alas Pilipinas
As far as Alas Women is concerned, there has been plenty of player arrivals and withdrawals over the past few days.
SPIN.ph breaks down in full who has already joined and will still join the national team in the lead-up to the 2025 AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup from Jun. 7 to 14 and the 2025 VTV Cup from Jun. 28 to Jul. 5.
OUTSIDE HITTERS (8)
A quartet of decorated outside hitters have already started training under Alas head coach Jorge Souza de Brito for the 2025 national team cycle.
It features three returning aces in free agent Eya Laure, Cignal’s Vanie Gandler and three-time UAAP MVP Bella Belen.
The newest name in the mix? Adamson’s newly-crowned Rookie of the Year in Shaina Nitura who’ll be riding on the coattails of a historic UAAP debut where she shattered one record after the other.
This group of A-list wingers is expected to grow in the coming days with the expected arrivals of Alas mainstay and La Salle’s Angel Canino along with her teammate Alleiah Malaluan and Petro Gazz’ two-time PVL MVP-slash-champion Brooke Van Sickle.
Still uncertain, however, is the entry of another National U winger in Vange Alinsug.
MIDDLE BLOCKERS (8)
Height is might for the nationals this time, with a formidable array of defensive fortresses on hand for de Brito to choose from.
Six middle blockers have joined national team training thus far — three of whom have already donned Alas Pilipinas blue last year.
Back in the mix for the nationals are PLDT’s Dell Palomata, ZUS Coffee’s Thea Gagate and Akari’s Fifi Sharma.
Adding more firepower to the Alas wall are an eclectic mix of heralded defenders in Creamline’s Pangs Panaga, Choco Mucho’s Maddie Madayag, incoming Far Eastern University sophomore Cla Loresco and Petro Gazz’ MJ Phillips as the reigning Finals MVP in the recently concluded 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
One more name is set to enter the fray soon for Alas in the middle: the UAAP’s newly-crowned best middle blocker in La Salle ace Amie Provido.
OPPOSITE HITTERS (3)
Alas Women will have a triple treat of utility wingers at their disposal that can easily pose a triple threat in international play.
While Canino was briefly converted to the opposite role in last year’s Challenge Cup, Alas is about to have three natural opposite hitters in its roster.
So far, only one of them has joined training — Capital1’s Leila Cruz.
The practice player-turned-pool member will now be among de Brito’s options in forming his final 14 following the withdrawals of Akari’s spiking duo in Faith Nisperos and Eli Soyud, as well as Creamline's Tots Carlos and ZUS Coffee's Chai Troncoso.
The two forthcoming names to bolster the wing for Alas are two of the UAAP’s finest opposite hitters who just recently contested the Season 87 women’s volleyball crown in National U’s Alyssa Solomon and La Salle’s Shevana Laput.
The catch here, however, is that Laput remains affiliated with Volleyball Australia.
SETTERS (5)
An unquestionable shoo-in to the final roster is team captain Jia de Guzman, who’ll be orchestrating Alas’ 2025 charge after the end of her Japan SV.League stint.
Set to back her up are four top-notch playmakers divided into UAAP, PVL and Fil-foreign aces.
Last year’s reserve setters in Galeries Tower’s Julia Coronel and Choco Mucho’s Mars Alba have been called up once more for national team duty.
This time, they’ll be joined by two-time UAAP champion-slash-best setter in National U’s Lams Lamina.
A rather obscure yet well-travelled option for de Brito in the setter role? Fil-American playmaker Tia Andaya who has already played in the United States, Albania and Romania.
LIBEROS (3)
A trifecta of collegiate champion liberos will be on deck for Alas to choose from.
Leading the way is Cignal’s Dawn Macandili-Catindig who assumed the captaincy for club and country in de Guzman’s absence.
Two modern-day UAAP champions are also set to enter the national team scene — a returnee and a new entry.
It will either be one or both of Chery Tiggo and Alas mainstay Jen Nierva or Akari’s Justine Jazareno who’ll be backing Catindig as the country’s floor general.
While Nierva already played for Alas last year, this will be Jazareno’s first call-up since her volleyball comeback after taking a maternity leave to give birth to her firstborn son.
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