TWO-time PVL MVP Brooke Van Sickle will headline the revamped Alas Pilipinas Women roster for the 2025 VTV Cup from June 28 to July 5 in Vinh Phuc, Vietnam.
READ: Alas Pilipinas players to miss PVL action until mid-October
Alas Women head coach Jorge Souza de Brito bared the final roster to SPIN.ph on Monday afternoon, introducing eight new faces who were not in the silver-winning team in the 2025 AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup.
Completing the nationals’ frontline this time along with Van Sickle are Nations Cup holdovers Eya Laure, Vanie Gandler, former reserve Leila Cruz and Alas debutant Alleiah Malaluan.
Among the scoring quintet, Cruz will be the lone natural opposite hitter.
Height will be Alas’ top asset in the Vietnam tilt with six middle blockers onboard.
Joining the returning trio of Nations Cup best middle blocker Dell Palomata, Thea Gagate and Fifi Sharma are Maddie Madayag, reigning PVL Finals MVP MJ Phillips and UAAP best middle blocker Amie Provido.
Team captain Jia de Guzman will be backed by a trio of young playmakers in Nations Cup reserve Lams Lamina, Mars Alba and Choco Mucho’s newly-drafted setter Tia Andaya.
Manning the floor along with Dawn Catindig this time is Akari libero Justine Jazareno.
Worth noting for this event is that FIVB citizenship eligibility rules do not apply and is not an AVC-sanctioned invitational tournament. There are also no world ranking points in the offing.
As such, Fil-foreign players like Van Sickle, Phillips and Andaya can be fielded by Alas Pilipinas.
Pending the completion of their documentary requirements and the FIVB's approval, only then can the said trio be part of the national team for official AVC and FIVB competitions.
Belen, Canino, Solomon out
Six Nations Cup aces were excluded from the VTV Cup squad, including the tournament’s best outside hitter Angel Canino, Bella Belen, Alyssa Solomon, Shaina Nitura, Jen Nierva and Cla Loresco.
Three VTV Cup reserves will be named in due course.
Alas Women were drawn in Pool A along with Vietnam, Australia and China’s Sichuan Women's Volleyball Club, where they will vie to surpass Choco Mucho's bronze-medal finish in 2023 and avoid a repeat of National University's dead-last eighth-place campaign.
The nationals' pool play schedule for this year's VTV Cup is as follows:
- ALAS PILIPINAS vs. VIETNAM | June 29 (Sunday) | 8 p.m.
- ALAS PILIPINAS vs. SICHUAN (CHINA) | June 30 (Monday) | 5:30 p.m.
- ALAS PILIPINAS vs. AUSTRALIA | July 1 (Tuesday) | 3 p.m.
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