Alas Pilipinas players ruled out of PVL Reinforced, Invitationals

FILE– Alas Pilipinas during the SEA VLeague second leg. The national team players have been ruled out of returning to the on going PVL Reinforced Conference. –SAVA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas players will no longer return to action in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference and will also miss the ensuing Invitational Conference.

PVL president and Philippine National Volleyball Federation vice president Ricky Palou said on Tuesday that the pro players from the national squad will not be returning to their clubs until September 15.

Alas Pilipinas is set to play a Japanese club team in a friendly early in September.

READ: Jia De Guzman stresses on continuity for Alas Pilipinas

“As far as I know, the games of Alas, hindi pa tapos. They still have a match against a Japanese club team here in the Philippines for the kick-off of the [FIVB] World Championship next year. So until those games are over, hindi sila makakalaro because they will be practicing,” said Palou, who is also the Alas Pilipinas chairman.

“I understand those [games] will be around September 9, 10, 11, around that time, we will end our Invitational. So wala na, hindi na sila makakabalik hanggang Invitational. Unless magbago sila ng schedule, but I doubt it.”

The semifinalists of the ongoing PVL Reinforced Conference will qualify for the Invitationals in September, where they will face foreign guest clubs.

Palou said the Alas Pilipinas players will return in the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference, which opens in November.

READ: De Brito seeks cooperation to solve longtime national team problem at Alas Pilipinas

The women’s team is going to take part in the one-year countdown for the country’s hosting of the FIVB Men’s World Championship 2025 and will also play tune-up games in other provinces.

Alas has 12 PVL players in its roster: Choco Mucho’s Sisi Rondina and Cherry Nunag, Cignal’s Vanie Gandler and Dawn Macandili-Catindig, Akari’s Fifi Sharma and Faith Nisperos, Chery Tiggo’s Eya Laure and Jen Nierva, Creamline’s Jema Galanza, PLDT’s Dell Palomata, and rookies Thea Gagate of ZUS Coffee and Julia Coronel of Galeries Tower.

Team captain Jia De Guzman, meanwhile, will return to Japan after the eight-time PVL Best Setter renewed her contract with the Denso AiryBees.

“Her contract in Japan has been renewed so I think she’ll go back there I think today or tomorrow she’s leaving for Japan.” said the PVL chief. “In the meantime, the team will be practicing pero as far as I know, after May, babalik na siya dito for the national team. When the national team calendar comes into play she’ll be back in the Philippines for the Alas team.”

Alas won back-to-back bronze medals in the SEA VLeague with De Guzman and Gagate winning the Best Setter and Best Middle Blocker, respectively, in the first leg, and Alyssa Solomon taking home the Best Opposite Spiker in the second leg.