MANILA, Philippines – While the Philippine women’s volleyball team continues to celebrate their historic silver medal performance at the 2025 AVC Women’s Nations Cup, veteran setter Jia De Guzman has confirmed her much-awaited return to the Creamline Cool Smashers after almost two years away.

Speaking Tuesday at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum, De Guzman declared that she is actively working on a return to the Premier Volleyball League’s dominant league. The 30-year-old playmaker stressed that, following their historic victory in Vietnam, her top goal is still the national team, Alas Pilipinas.

The eight-time Premier Volleyball League Best Setter winner admitted that her duties with the national team will determine whether or not she rejoins Creamline. She acknowledged the team’s duty to the Philippines and thanked the Cool Smashers organization for letting her concentrate solely on honoring the nation.

When the Cool Smashers lost to Kurashiki Ablaze, a Japanese visitor team, in the finals of the 2023 PVL Invitational Conference, De Guzman last donned the Creamline jersey. She took her skills abroad after that campaign, joining the Denso Airybees in Japan’s SV. League, where she played a major part in their V.Cup championship campaign and spent two successful seasons.

The setter recently led Alas Pilipinas to their record second-place finish at the AVC Women’s Nations Cup in Manila, where she won Best Setter for the second time in a row, demonstrating the value of her international expertise. This silver medal represented a significant milestone for Philippine volleyball as it was the country’s first podium result on the Asian stage in 64 years.

It was an incredible trip for the Philippine women’s volleyball team to win the silver medal. Alas, Pilipinas earned their first-ever participation in an AVC Women’s Nations Cup final while competing in Hanoi, Vietnam, from June 7–14. They lost to the host country, Vietnam, in straight sets, 25–15, 25–16, 25–14.

Even though they lost the title match, the accomplishment was a major turning point for Philippine volleyball. The program’s steady development under head coach Jorge De Brito was evident in the silver medal, which was an improvement over their bronze medal finish at the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup in Manila.

With a strong showing spearheaded by standout spikers Tran Thi Thanh Thuy and Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen, who scored 20 and 17 points, respectively, Vietnam, the two-time defending champions, completed their three-peat. The Vietnamese team won the AVC Nations Cup for the third time in a row because of their greater firepower and home-court advantage.

The Philippines won their first silver medal since the 1997 Southeast Asian Games and made their first participation in the Asian women’s volleyball finals. UAAP Rookie of the Year Shaina Nitura scored six points off the bench, while team captain Alyssa Solomon scored eight points to lead the Filipino effort.

Filipino athletes’ individual accomplishments were the tournament’s defining feature. Veteran middle blocker Dell Palomata received her first AVC solo honor as the Best Middle Blocker in addition to De Guzman’s Best Setter award. Palomata’s performance proved vital throughout the competition, and the acknowledgment was a significant response to early tournament criticism.

For her exceptional efforts during the campaign, Angel Canino, the tournament’s top scorer, was also given individual distinction. The three honorees demonstrated the breadth and caliber of the Philippine team’s continental performance.

As a result of the achievement, the Philippines’ FIVB women’s volleyball world rating has risen to No. 47, which is their highest ranking to date, and ninth in Asia overall. The program’s consistent advancement and increasing competitiveness on the Asian scene are reflected in this increase in its international status.

The Southeast Asian V.League in July and the VTV Cup in Vietnam later this month are on Alas Pilipinas’ calendar. The squad will use these contests to get ready for their Southeast Asian Games campaign in December, when they want to improve on their recent achievements.

With the team’s success proving they can fight with the continent’s top teams, the silver medal accomplishment has greatly boosted Philippine volleyball. They will be more motivated to advance in Asian volleyball thanks to the experience they received from making it to the finals and the knowledge they obtained from the title match.