Jia De Guzman joins Denso Airybees in Japan V.League

In joining the Denso Airybees, Jia De Guzman is the third Filipino to play in the Japan V.League.

MANILA, Philippines — Jia De Guzman is taking her act to Japan as she joins the Denso Airybees ahead of the 2023-24 V.League season.

The Japanese Division 1 club team Denso on Thursday introduced the decorated Filipino setter as its Asian import.

De Guzman, the playmaker of Creamline, will be making her first overseas stint. She is the second Filipino to play in Japan this season, joining Jaja Santiago, who has been in the V.League since 2018 with the Ageo Medics and will be seeing action for her new squad, JT Marvelous.

“I am really looking forward to contributing everything I can for the Denso Airybees,” said the eight-time Premier Volleyball League (PVL) best setter in a statement. “Together with the coaching staff and my teammates, we will do our best to train, fight, and win this season.”

The 28-year-old playmaker is unlikely to be with the Cool Smashers when they defend their PVL All-Filipino Conference crown anew in October as the V.League will open in the same month.

Creamline setter Jia De Guzman. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses will be leaning on backup setter Kyle Negrito in executing the plays for spikers Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza, Bernadeth Pons, and Michele Gumabao as well as middle blockers Ced Domingo and Jeanette Panaga.

De Guzman tried out for the Asian quota of the Korean V-League but she went undrafted with Petro Gazz middle blocker MJ Phillips the lone Filipino selected by the Gwangju AI Peppers. F2 Logistics’ Iris Tolenanda will also play in South Korea after she was tapped as a replacement import by GX Caltex Seoul KIXX.

Finding her opportunity in Japan, the Philippine national team setter became the third Filipino women’s volleyball player to be in the V.League, joining Santiago and Dindin Santiago-Manabat, who played for Toray Arrows from 2018-19 and Kurobe AquaFairies in the following season.

The former Ateneo stalwart will be bringing her brilliant plays overseas after leading Creamline to six championships in the PVL, where she won the Best Setter eight times and emerged as four-time Finals MVP.

The Denso Airybees, who placed sixth last season with a 14-19 record, also tapped Brazilian wing spiker Rosamaria Montibeller as their import.

The Philippines has six players playing for overseas squads including men’s volleyball stars Marck Espejo, who is also playing in the Korean V-League men’s division with the Incheon Air Jumbos, and Bryan Bagunas as he is set to defend WinStreak’s title and his MVP crown for another season in Taiwan’s Top Volleyball League.