By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Jia Morado-De Guzman and Thea Gagate snatched the limelight during the first leg of the Southeast Asia V-League awarding ceremony on August 5, 2024, in Vinh Phuc, Vietnam.
After steering the Alas Pilipinas women’s national volleyball team to a bronze medal finish during the first leg of the prestigious tournament, the 1-2 punch also shone in the individual awards as they took home two of the biggest single trophies against the best of the best in Asia.
De Guzman, Alas Pilipinas’ team captain and superstar orchestrator, received the Best Setter award following her consistent playmaking in the three-match tournament.
Meanwhile, the younger Gagate topped the blocking department of the competition and won the Best Middle Blocker trophy.
Both stalwarts did their part when they led the national team to a four-set victory over Indonesia that officially solidified Alas’ third-place finish in the first leg.
After two straight defeats during their opening campaign in Vietnam, the brave Filipinas stepped up when they needed the most against Indonesia which also marked the end of their winless streak which dates back two years ago.
Led by collegiate star Alyssa Solomon, the revamped Alas Pilipinas had plenty of firepower and it was the stalwart from NU who showcased her offensive skillset in front of a jam-packed crowd.
The towering outside spiker delivered 16 big points and top-scored Alas derived from 14 successful attacks.
Backstopping Solomon during the huge win were Sisi Rondina and Eya Laure who each chipped in 13 markers for the national squad.
Alas will still have a chance for a better outing when the second leg of the Southeast Asian V-League continues on August 9, 2024, in Thailand.
