Philippine volleyball is rediscovering its glory and reigniting its spark with expert coaching, inspiring a nation’s passion as it sets its sights on the global stage.
Volleyball in the Philippines is a passion that brings people together, fills arenas and inspires dreams. Volleyball has been a part of Filipino life for years. But while the sport is loved across the country, reaching success on the world stage has been a challenge. Now, with the support of FIVB Volleyball Empowerment and experienced coaches, the Philippines is finding its way back and aiming higher than ever before.
Volleyball holds a special place in the hearts of Filipinos, with the sport thriving across collegiate and club leagues.
Packed stadium for the match of Team Philippines.
“The scene is rather vibrant, particularly in the university and collegiate sector where there is, instantly, a captive audience within the student body and the academe,” said Donaldo Caringal, Secretary General of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF).
The energy from academic institutions has been matched by the rise of club leagues, particularly for women’s teams, which have garnered massive support from fans nationwide.
“Several club leagues have also established their presence, amassing huge spectatorship primarily for the women’s teams,” Caringal shared.
Despite the sport’s widespread appeal, building a unified and consistent national programme has been a challenge. With university and club leagues operating on independent schedules, aligning training periods for the national teams has often proven difficult.
“The commercial success of both university and club leagues brought vibrancy to the sport but also posed challenges to formulating and implementing a consistent national training programme,” Caringal explained.
This fragmentation meant players struggled to fully commit to national call-ups, a situation that also affected beach volleyball.
“For beach volleyball players, the allure of pursuing a club volleyball career sometimes impacted their momentum on the sand courts,” he added.
The volleyball and beach volleyball teams are called ‘Alas Pilipinas’ – Alas is a Filipino word for volleyball term ‘Ace’.
Still, the Filipinos’ love for volleyball has never wavered. This passion has laid a strong foundation for growth, which the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme is using to guide the national teams forward. With strategic support and experienced coaching, the programme is unlocking the potential and aiming for success on the international stage.
The targeted coaching support has been a turning point for the Philippines’ national volleyball and beach volleyball programmes. By bringing in experienced coaches and implementing structured training strategies, the support has revitalised the teams, setting the stage for consistent growth and development.
“The coaching support platform has jumpstarted the national teams with the aim to augment participation and rank points, establish a consistent programme schedule, and initiate a change in mindset that gives much importance to the national team,” explained Caringal.
Italian coach Angiolino Frigoni is at the helm of the Philippine men’s team that will compete at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.
One of the standout aspects of the programme has been the introduction of training methods tailored to fit the unique context and needs of the Philippines. These methods, while updated to international standards, are practical and relevant, ensuring players can adapt and excel.
“The introduction of training methods which are updated, yet relevant to the context and peculiarities of the Philippines’ set-up has proven to deliver a big difference, eventually leveraging the players’ performances,” Caringal said.
An emotional Jovelyn Gonzaga hugs her partner Cherry Rondina after winning their first-ever international gold medal in beach volleyball.
The impact of the support is evident in the results. In 2022, just a month after arriving in the Philippines, coach Joao Luciano Simao Barbosa helped the women’s beach volleyball team achieve a historic milestone by securing the country’s first-ever international beach volleyball medal.
The Beach Pro Tour Futures in Subic saw an all-Filipino gold medal match in the women’s event, a moment that showcased the potential of the national programme. They also made their mark at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, finishing in fifth place.
Gold and silver for the Philippines at the Beach Pro Tour Futures.
The men’s team also secured notable results, winning bronze at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia and a silver medal at the 2024 Beach Pro Tour Futures in Nuvali.
In volleyball, the Philippines has seen remarkable achievements since receiving FIVB’s support. The women’s volleyball team has earned significant medals, including a bronze at the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup, as well as bronze finishes at the 2024 SEA VLeague in both Vinh Phuc, Vietnam, and Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
The men’s volleyball team has also made its mark with bronze medals at the 2024 SEA VLeague in Manila, Philippines, and Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
The same support that contributed to these remarkable successes can also be seen in the recognition of individual athletes, such as Julia Morado-De Guzman and Angel Canino. Both players received Dream Team honours during the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Women, with Morado-De Guzman being named Best Setter and Canino recognised as Best Opposite.
Jia Morado-De Guzman wins Best Setter at the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Women.
Hosting major volleyball events has played a significant role in the development of the sport in the Philippines.
“Hosting events, both volleyball and beach volleyball, has always prompted the need to field a competitive team to play at home. This has likewise resulted in greater exposure for the sport as a family entertainment platform, which would also ignite more interest for more people to pick up the sport, on varying levels,” Caringal said.
The visibility generated by hosting such events has created more opportunities for fans and participants to engage with the sport.
Looking ahead, the Philippines will host the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, a major milestone for the country. Hosting these prestigious events also provides unique opportunities and challenges for the national teams.
“The hosting directly provides a slot for the Philippines to participate in the competition, while the FIVB and Volleyball World will provide an 8-year empowerment program for NF-Philippines after the event,” Caringal explained on laying the groundwork for long-term development.
Coach Angiolino Frigoni giving instructions to his Alas Pilipinas players.
The support has been key in helping the national teams make the most of these opportunities.
“FIVB’s support is designed for sustainability, where periodized ‘tranches’ are provided to cover preparatory activities, event support, post-event reporting and audits, and empowerment projects long after the event has been completed,” Caringal said.
Recent changes in the structure include aligning the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) calendar with FIVB’s, strengthening PVL’s partnership with the national federation and securing team owners’ commitment to support the national teams.
“With this, PVL has strengthened its partnership with PNVF by getting the team owners to commit to support the National Team Program,” Caringal stated.
The programme has also attracted more corporate support, helping improve the image of the national teams.
“Corporate partners and brands have become more and more interested to support NF Philippines, which has also helped improve the image of the national teams,” he said.
“Athletes, coaches, officials, and even spectators are now even more aware of the sport’s global impact, which also leads to more interest in how respective stakeholders can play an important role.”
Alas Pilipinas captain Jia Morado-De Guzman against Vietnam.
For athletes, FIVB’s involvement has elevated their standing and opened new opportunities.
“It augments the perception of athletes for the sport, with the prestige of somehow being affiliated with the sport’s highest governing body, for example, participating in FIVB-level events. It also sparks aspirations for them to explore more competitive platforms, by fully understanding the sport and the journey associated with achievement.”
The goals for volleyball and beach volleyball are clear: increase participation, improve rankings and develop more specialised players.
“We aim to increase participation to post better rankings for both disciplines, increase the number of beach volleyball players and develop FIVB-level volleyball referees,” Caringal said.
“We aspire for a future where the sport is enjoyed and celebrated locally, while also receiving international accolades as the home of good volleyball and beach volleyball players, competent referees and technical officials, and the best and most memorable host cities of FIVB and Volleyball World event properties.
“PNVF is grateful and honoured to receive the support of the FIVB, and we look forward to continuing an amazing partnership in the years to come,” Caringal concluded.
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