Recommended Video
What’s the latest on the buildup of Alas Pilipinas Women for the SEA Games?
Major roadblocks stand in the way of Alas Pilipinas Women as they prepare for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December.
Already faced with time constraints, Premier Volleyball League (PVL) president and Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) official Ricky Palou bared on Thursday that there is still no final player pool ahead of the indoor volleyball tournament that starts on December 10.
“We have not received the roster yet and which players are in the pool. I asked them to submit that to us but we’re still waiting for it,” Palou told reporters on Thursday during the final day of the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference eliminations.
According to Palou, the 20-woman pool released by the PNVF last October has been overhauled as well.
“Nagpalit ulit sila. They’ve removed some and added some; from what I understand [Thea] Gagate is not in the pool now, but in the first pool nandoon siya and may mga ganon na changes,” he explained.
In an earlier statement by the PNVF, only team captain Jia Morado-de Guzman, free agent Eya Laure, Cignal’s Vanie Gandler and Dawn Macandili-Catindig, and Chery Tiggo EV’s Jen Nierva have been regularly training under Alas Women head coach Jorge Souza de Brito.
All PVL stars under the national team pool, Palou said, are still required to stay with their mother clubs, and can only be released after their teams have been eliminated from the Reinforced Conference.
“What the teams have agreed on is that when the teams are eliminated and the players are in the national team pool, they will be released to the national team. But until they get eliminated, they will keep on playing for the club team,” Palou said.
“So what we’re looking at is some of these players will be playing until the championship on November 30, and that’s when all of them will be released.”
Still, PVL chief stressed that there are no league-wide restrictions on joining national team practices amid the ongoing conference. And while the discretion will be on the club teams, the league is also urging its team owners to aid the national team’s cause.
“It’s up to [the teams] if they want to lend or not, kasi the players aren’t under contract with the PVL; although we’re encouraging the team owners na pahiram niyo rin sa national team,” Palou explained.
“Sabi ko nga if manalo tayo, maganda para sa liga diba? Na ‘yung mga players ng PVL nakamedalya sa Southeast Asian Games eh. But we’re not forcing them to lend their players and we just tell them na sana pahiram naman nila.”
Alas Women will no longer have an overseas training camp, according to Palou, but are expected to leave for Thailand in the first week of December.
“Wala nang training camp. ‘Yung men’s mayroon, pero ‘yung women’s hindi na aabot,” Palou said. “I think first week ata [travel to Thailand] because their games start on the second week, para pwede silang mag-tuneup with local teams there.”
‘More for the flag’
Although they are facing challenges out of their control, De Brito promised that he and Alas Women will make the most out of the situation at hand.
“Even with a short time of preparation, all the guys will do the same. Hopefully one day, the situation will be different; but while it’s hard, we’re still going to fight and it’s more for the flag,” De Brito told a few reporters in an earlier interview.
The Brazilian mentor also plans to ease his players in gradually, knowing that most of the pool are expected to be fresh off the PVL postseason that begins on November 24.
“It depends; for the guys that play five sets on the 24th, I cannot ask them to join on the 25th. I need feedback from them and also if the clubs will let them join the national team,” he said.
Still, De Brito is expecting nothing less than the best from Alas Women, knowing the talent level that he will have at his disposal.
“You know? The caliber of the players that you have, you cannot just stick on being happy for the bronze or being happy to make the finals. You have enough players, and if you have enough time, you can make much more, so we’re gonna keep on fighting.”
Banner images from the Southeast Asian Volleyball Association on Facebook.