Alas Women are setting their sights on the 2029 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship after the Philippines officially secured hosting rights. The historic event marks the country’s first time to welcome the prestigious tournament on home soil, giving the national team ample time to prepare.
The announcement came during the final day of the FIVB Men’s World Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena, where FIVB president Fabio Azevedo and Brazilian volleyball legend Leila Barros awarded the hosting rights. With four years to prepare, the Alas Women are determined to capitalize on the opportunity and showcase their growth on the world stage.
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Years of Preparation Ahead
Jia De Guzman highlighted how significant the long-term planning is for Philippine volleyball after years of relying on short camps.
“We’re really happy because FIVB also announced a long-term seven-year program. This is something we’ve been waiting for as a volleyball community: men’s, women’s, beach volleyball,” De Guzman said in Filipino.
She added that the extended runway changes everything for the program’s ambitions. “We can’t really bank on what we’ve been doing in the past years, with a few weeks of preparation for the tournament. Because the past years have been very kind to us in terms of results. But that’s only banking on weeks, few months of preparation. This time, we’re years ahead. So we have to take advantage of this.”
The skipper also called for unity and dedication in building the strongest possible lineup. “We need the best of the best. Not just the best of the best. We need people who want to work for the country, who want to learn from us also, training with the best talents from high school, from college. It will be huge for the program to invite everyone.”
Inspired by Alas Men’s Performance
The women’s team drew motivation from the men’s squad, who stunned higher-ranked Egypt and nearly upset Iran despite only 16 months of preparation.
“Honestly, seeing the men’s performance has inspired us even more to give our best, to make sure everything is done right on our end. Hopefully, everyone is on the same page when it comes to the program and system that Alas is really working hard to build,” De Guzman remarked.
Libero Dawn Macandili-Catindig also shared her excitement: “We’re so excited to be going up against the top teams in the world. We also want to see how far we can go in the next four years,” she said in Filipino.
Fresh from a silver medal at the 2025 AVC Nations Cup, Alas Women are now looking ahead to the 2029 championship with hopes of cementing their place among the world’s elite.
