Philippine volleyball veteran Alyssa Valdez said that she is grateful and proud of the current Alas Pilipinas core’s performance in the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup despite ongoing issues with the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF).
Valdez was named as the team captain for the new-look Alas Pilipinas that was only formed a few days before the AVC Cup started on June 6 in Candon City, Philippines.
She was joined by other veterans from the Premier Volleyball League and youngsters from the collegiate ranks.
The current Philippine women’s team failed to reach the semi-finals of the 2026 tournament, ending the country’s bid to secure a third straight podium finish.
“Something that we’re proud of is to actually represent the country. Despite all the things that’s happening everywhere, despite the noise, and we’re just very, very happy,” Valdez said, according to Tie Breaker Times.
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PNVF in limbo
The Alas Pilipinas women’s poor performance in the 2026 AVC Cup was heavily influenced by the governing issues currently being faced by PNVF.
The issue started when the majority of the original Alas Pilipinas Women’s core begged off from upcoming volleyball tournaments due to the federation’s poor management of the national team programme.
The situation became worse when the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) suspended the federation last month for poor governance and violation of the code of ethics.
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is also expected to suspend PNVF in the following days, while the Philippine Sports Commission suspended funding for the federation amid the controversies.
Alas Pilipinas original team captain Jia De Guzman had already appealed in March for a better governing system to help promote the growth of Philippine volleyball before announcing her break from national team duties due to the management issues.
The future of the PNVF remains uncertain due to the ongoing issues, but the FIVB has already appointed an ad hoc committee to manage the operations of the suspended federation.
The committee will also lead the hosting of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League stop in the Philippines from June 17 to June 21.
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AVC fight continues
The original Alas Pilipinas squad bagged the bronze medal during the 2024 edition of the AVC tournament and secured a silver medal the following year.
With the new squad’s early exit from the 2026 AVC tournament, current skipper Valdez promised to continue fighting for the country as the team heads to the classification phase of the tournament.
The veteran also encouraged the young members of the current Alas Pilipinas core to use the AVC tournament and upcoming competitions as a learning experience to help secure a bright future for the volleyball team.
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