Jaja Santiago praises Alas Pilipinas' performance in AVC Challenge Cup

Former national team player Jaja Santiago witnessed Alas Pilipinas secure their spot in the AVC Challenge Cup semifinals by defeating Chinese Taipei on Sunday evening.

Santiago praised the young team's strong connection and leadership from import Jia De Guzman, expressing confidence that they can win the tournament and even reach as far as the VNL or Olympics.

The former player noted the team's willingness to fight despite limited preparation time, highlighting players like Angel Canino and Thea Gagate who are delivering well in their first national team appearances.

Santiago expressed pride in the home crowd's support and acknowledged the girls' hard work and improvement, which she believes is contributing to Alas Pilipinas' strong performance.

Alas Pilipinas moved up eight places to No. 55 in the FIVB world rankings after their perfect run in the preliminaries.

Looking ahead to Tuesday's match against Kazakhstan for a finals berth, Santiago hopes for continuity within the women's national program to achieve future international success.