Alas Pilipinas women arrive in Vietnam for SEA V Cup Leg 1

Alas Pilipinas women land in Vietnam for the SEA V Cup leg 1 in Hanoi.–ALAS PILIPINAS PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas women’s team has arrived in Vietnam ahead of the SEA V Cup Leg 1, which starts Friday at the Dong Anh Gymnasium in Hanoi.

The team’s social media page on Wednesday afternoon posted a photo of the squad arriving safely in Vietnam two days before the opener.

Japanese coach Taka Minowa makes his debut as the new women’s national volleyball team coach on Friday against host Vietnam, the champion of last year’s second leg and runner-up for six legs.

READ: Alas Pilipinas tops Myanmar for 5th place in SEA V Cup

Bannering the team are returning mainstays Jia De Guzman, Alyssa Solomon, Bella Belen, Eya Laure, Vanie Gandler, Dell Palomata, Fifi Sharma, Thea Gagate, Mars Alba, Justine Jazareno, Jen Nierva, and Dawn Catindig.

The Alas team, with the same core, has won four straight bronze medals since 2024.

Also making their Alas debut are last year’s PVL on Tour MVP Erika Santos and National University’s Vange Alinsug and Celine Marsh. Niña Ytang, who debuted in Candon last June in the AVC Women’s Cup, also joined the squad.

READ: Alas Pilipinas men head to another fifth-place match in SEA V Cup

The Philippines will play a single round robin, which determines the podium finishers.

Alas takes on Thailand on Saturday, before facing Indonesia on Sunday in its first international tournament ahead of the Asian Games in September. Leg 2 is set next week in Thailand.