Alas Pilipinas in a huddle during the FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup.-MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — After facing powerhouse Vietnam in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup, Alas Pilipinas coach Jorge Souza De Brito is not looking too far ahead in their medal quest in next year’s Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
Vietnam, led by Thi Bich Tuyen Nguyen’s 30-point explosion, asserted its mastery of the Philippines, 25-14, 25-22, 25-21, on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium to advance to the Challenger Cup semifinal and move two wins away from qualifying to next year’s Volleyball Nations League.
Losing to the region’s powerhouse anew, De Brito is not yet gauging Alas’ chances of ending a 20-year medal drought in the biennial meet next year as he focuses on developing the pool he has, hoping to add more players and keep the program intact for the 2025 SEA Games.
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Alas coach Jorge De Brito on the team’s next plans. #FIVBChallengerCup @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/aonUYvI9mf
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“It’s far to think but there’s still time to work [with these players]. We have one and a half years to do that. Enough time, if we’re supported by the clubs and the schools, then we can do it,” the Brazilian coach told reporters.
“We need the support from the fans, clubs, companies, UAAP board, PVL board, and team owners. All of us are part of the Philippine environment so we need to work together. We’re not gonna win, we’re not going to get better without the support.”
De Brito admitted Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia are still the top three squads in the region. That’s why he seeks to make the most of the longer preparation time with the new breed of national players.
“It’s always a challenge for us but we’re trying to improve also. What we have to do is play hard and hard and minimize the distance between the No. 4 to No. 3 and then be able to beat them. It’s not a long way but it’s hard. Every step is really hard,” he said.
Despite a one-and-done Challenger Cup stint, De Brito was still pleased with the performance of his team after Vietnam fielded Trần Thị Thanh Thúy in her first game since her injury to stave off Alas’ gallant stand in the last two sets.
READ: Alas Pilipinas loses to Vietnam, bows out of FIVB Challenger Cup
“When you see your opponent putting their best player to play, it means that you’re going up that’s what I told my players inside, we did a good job that they have to put their first six to play against us,” De Brito said.
Alas will have a two-week training camp in Japan starting on July 14 before they face their SEA Games rivals in the SEA V League in August.
The Brazilian coach, who steered the Philippines with an AVC Challenge Cup bronze medal last May, hopes to have this training pool and add more players for the program’s continuity.
“What we really have to do is this training camp in Japan will help us but also we need to have our players more time together to work so we can add something in the system that would be applicable. It’s a step-by-step process,” he said.
“Hopefully, we can keep these players since we have 14 days in Japan to practice. We’ll be better, you can make some changes, chemistry will be better because every single day we’ll train together two times a day. It’s good, much better.”