Quick answer: Alas Pilipinas Women debut under new head coach Taka Minowa at the SEA V.Cup 2026 first leg, 31 July–2 August at Đông Anh Gymnasium, Hanoi. In Philippine time, they face hosts Vietnam on 31 July (8:00 PM), Thailand on 1 August (5:00 PM) and Indonesia on 2 August (5:00 PM). The final 14-player roster was still pending as of 29 July.
A new coach, a young core, and no easy nights
There are tournaments you enter to win, and tournaments you enter to find out who you are. For Alas Pilipinas Women, the SEA V.Cup 2026 first leg in Hanoi is firmly the second kind — and that makes it arguably the most interesting assignment on the Philippine volleyball calendar this quarter.
This is the first tournament of the Taka Minowa era. The Japanese coach — familiar to Filipino fans as the husband of naturalized star Jaja Santiago — takes over a program that has spent two years building genuine momentum, and he inherits a pool built almost entirely from PVL-loaned talent. His first three opponents offer zero soft landings: the reigning-leg-champion hosts, the region's perennial powerhouse, and an Indonesian side that finalized its squad earlier than anyone.
Schedule in Philippine time
Hanoi runs on Indochina Time, one hour behind Manila. All Alas matches convert as follows:
| Date | Match | Hanoi time | Philippine time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 31 July | Vietnam vs Philippines | 7:00 PM | 8:00 PM PHT |
| Sat, 1 August | Philippines vs Thailand | 4:00 PM | 5:00 PM PHT |
| Sun, 2 August | Indonesia vs Philippines | 4:00 PM | 5:00 PM PHT |
The rhythm is brutal by design: three matches in three days, opening against the toughest possible atmosphere — Vietnam's home crowd on a Friday night — before back-to-back afternoon starts.
Roster status: pool named, final 14 pending
Here is the honest state of play as of 29 July: the final 14-player roster has not been announced. What the federation has confirmed is the travelling pool, headlined by captain and setter Jia de Guzman, with a group that includes Bella Belen, Eya Laure, Vanie Gandler, Erika Santos, Alyssa Solomon, Thea Gagate, Dawn Macandili-Catindig, Dell Palomata, Mars Alba, Fifi Sharma, Jen Nierva, Jasmine Jazareno, Niña Ytang and Lams Lamina. Reporting has flagged Erika Santos, Vange Alinsug and Celine Marsh as likely first-time call-ups.
Until the official list drops — expected around 31 July — treat every "starting six" projection you see elsewhere as speculation. This page will publish the final 14 the moment it is official, and nothing before.
The three assignments, one by one
Vietnam, 31 July: the loudest room in Southeast Asia
Opening against the hosts means opening against the tournament's emotional center. Vietnam are defending the title they won in 2025 and will pack Đông Anh Gymnasium. But there is a real opening here: Vietnam's own roster is missing injured opposite Hoàng Thị Kiều Trinh, and 2025 leg MVP Nguyễn Thị Bích Tuyền is absent from the published 14 — meaning their attack leans heavily on captain Trần Thị Thanh Thúy. A Philippine block and defense that keeps Thanh Thúy merely human turns this from a coronation into a contest.
Thailand, 1 August: the benchmark, slightly ajar
Normally, Thailand is the fixture where Southeast Asian teams learn hard lessons. This time the door is slightly ajar: coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai has named a rotated squad — captain-setter Pornpun Guedpard rested, star outside Chatchu-on Moksri out injured — though Pimpichaya Kokram and Ajcharaporn Kongyot still headline. For a Philippine program measuring its progress, a competitive match against even a rotated Thailand is data; sets won would be a statement.
Indonesia, 2 August: the placement decider
On paper, the final afternoon offers the most winnable match — and possibly the one that decides where Alas finish in the leg. Indonesia named their 14 on 19 July under coach Marcos Sugiyama, built around captain Tisya Amallya Putri and setter Arneta Putri Amelian. Their preparation continuity is real, but this is the head-to-head most likely to be decided by execution rather than talent gap. Third place — or better — likely runs through this match.
What actually changes under Minowa
Coaching changes are easy to overhype, so here is the concrete version. Minowa arrives from the Japanese volleyball tradition, and the fingerprints that tradition leaves on teams are specific and observable: first-ball contact treated as the foundation of everything, middle attackers used at genuine first tempo rather than as decoys, defensive positioning drilled to the centimetre, and serving used as an organised pressure system instead of an individual act. None of that installs in two weeks — which is why Hanoi is a baseline-setting exercise, not a referendum. The fair test for Filipino viewers across the three matches is trajectory: does the team look more organised on Sunday than it did on Friday? If yes, the project is on schedule regardless of the scoreboard.
The PVL connection
Filipino fans should read this tournament alongside the club calendar. The pool is drawn from PVL programs whose league is currently running its own preseason: the PVL on Tour exhibition series plays in Polomolok, South Cotabato on 1 August — the same weekend Alas are in Hanoi. That overlap is exactly why club lineups at Tour stops and the national-team roster should be tracked separately; a player named in the Alas pool will not simultaneously suit up at a Tour date. Our PVL on Tour hub tracks the club side of that equation.
Where to watch in the Philippines
No Philippine broadcaster or stream had been officially confirmed for this women's event as of 29 July. Given recent Alas coverage patterns, announcements typically come close to match week, and this page will name the platform only when a first-party announcement exists. Confirmed elsewhere: Vietnam carries all matches on the federation's YouTube channel and VTVPrime; Indonesia airs on Moji TV and Vidio. No international stream was confirmed either.
What would success look like?
Realistic framing matters. Thailand and Vietnam have contested every title in this series' history; the Philippines' target band in Hanoi is (1) securing the head-to-head against Indonesia, (2) stealing sets — or more — from a rotated Thailand, and (3) showing a recognizable Minowa structure by day three: cleaner first-ball contact, a faster middle tempo, and serving that pressures rather than merely starts rallies. Anything above that is a bonus that would reframe the second leg in Thailand (7–9 August, working confirmed venue Chiang Mai — note that some earlier Vietnamese reports said Nakhon Ratchasima).
Results on this page
Nothing here is pre-written. Once first serve goes up on 31 July, this URL flips into live mode: set-by-set results for each Alas match, the leg table as it forms, and a "next match" card in PHT at the top of the page.
FAQ
What time do Alas Pilipinas play? 8:00 PM PHT vs Vietnam (31 July), then 5:00 PM PHT vs Thailand (1 August) and 5:00 PM PHT vs Indonesia (2 August).
Is the final roster out? No — only the pool is named. The final 14 was still pending as of 29 July and is expected around opening day.
Who is the new head coach? Taka Minowa of Japan, in his first tournament in charge of the women's national team.
Where can I watch in the Philippines? No Philippine platform was officially confirmed as of 29 July. This page updates the moment one is announced.
What is the SEA V.Cup? The renamed SEA V.League — Southeast Asia's annual four-nation series, now in its sixth edition, with Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia.
Has the Philippines ever won it? No. Thailand won every edition through the 2025 first leg; Vietnam took their first title in the 2025 second leg.
Is there a second leg? Yes — 7–9 August in Thailand, with Chiang Mai the working confirmed host city.
Last updated: 29 July 2026, 7:00 PM PHT.
Related pages
- Vietnam vs Alas Pilipinas: full match preview
- Alas vs Thailand: the benchmark test
- Indonesia vs Alas: the placement decider
- PVL on Tour 2026: club volleyball's same-weekend stop in Polomolok
- Philippine sports hub
- international edition
Sources
- Philstar / Spin.ph — Minowa appointment, pool composition, pending final 14
- SGGP Sports — Leg 1 schedule and venue
- Nation Thailand / Tirto.id — Thailand rotation details
- Okezone / Media Indonesia — Indonesia roster
- Lao Dong / Vietnam News — tournament renaming, Vietnam squad context
Fact status
- Confirmed: full PHT-converted schedule; venue; Minowa as head coach; De Guzman as captain; named pool; opponents' squads and coaches.
- Pending: final Alas 14; Philippine broadcaster/stream; any international stream; ticketing.
- Conflicting: Leg 2 host city (Chiang Mai vs earlier Nakhon Ratchasima reports) — disclosed above.
