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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Volleyball devider Alas Women focused on preparations, not expectations, in AVC Cup

Alas Women focused on preparations, not expectations, in AVC Cup

Published May 26, 2026 03:59 pm

At A Glance

  • The presence of veterans Alyssa Valdez, Jovelyn Gonzaga and Ces Molina provides not only a boost in talent but also a surge of confidence for Alas Pilipinas heading into the upcoming 2026 AVC Women's Volleyball Cup that the country is hosting in Candon, Ilocos Sur on June 6 to 14.
Niña Ytang, from left, Alyssa Valdez, coach Shaq Delos Santos, Jovelyn Gonzaga, and Ces Molina
Niña Ytang, from left, Alyssa Valdez, coach Shaq Delos Santos, Jovelyn Gonzaga, and Ces Molina
The presence of veterans Alyssa Valdez, Jovelyn Gonzaga and Ces Molina provides not only a boost in talent but also a surge of confidence for Alas Pilipinas heading into the upcoming 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup that the country is hosting in Candon, Ilocos Sur on June 6 to 14.
The team faces a daunting challenge in the weeklong tournament after still being formed at press time under interim coach Shaq Delos Santos, who has stepped in for Thai mentor Tai Bundit as the latter recovers from a scooter accident in Thailand.
“Realitiscaly, we really cannot predict anything this AVC… but all we can do is prepare talaga, well, para mabigyan natin ng magandang laban kung sino po ‘yong makakalaban natin this AVC,” said Valdez in Tuesday’s Forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus.
Gonzaga added their main focus is to prepare and work on the team’s chemistry, setting aside the expectations of maintaining or surpassing the Nationals’ silver medal finish in the previous edition.
The pressure to deliver well is always there as far as Delos Santos is concerned, but more than anything, all he wanted is to work on what they can and what they have now. After all, his experience, along with the three veteran players, will be a big help for the team composed mostly of collegiate players.
Delos Santos, Valdez, Gonzaga and Molina were part of the PH team that fell short of a podium finish at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games after losing the bronze-medal round to Indonesia.
“Siguro ‘yong experience namin no’ng 2019, a lot of it, nai-impart namin sa mga bata, hopefully mag-merge ang kabataan at mga ates, and ‘yon talaga ang pinaka-goal namin,” Gonzaga said.
According to Delos Santos, there is still no finalized roster, though a pool of 20 to 21 players is set to be disclosed in the coming days. The team is also scheduled to head to Candon this weekend for its next phase of preparations.
The Philippines is bracketed in Pool A along with Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Australia, and Uzbekistan. Pool B, on the other hand, features reigning champion Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Iran, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Lebanon.

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Niña Ytang AVC Women\'s Vollyeball Cup Alyssa Valdez coach Shaq Delos Santos Jovelyn Gonzaga Ces Molina
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