BFF Connection, Proud Rosamaria Says ‘Nice Job’ to Jia de Guzman’s playmaking

Jia de Guzman to play for Denso Airybees in Japan’s V.League

Jia de Guzman has taken her talents to Japan’s V.League. PVL Media/File.

(UPDATE 2) Jia de Guzman is the latest Filipino volleyball player to take her talents abroad.

The multi-awarded setter has signed with the Denso Airybees in the first division of Japan’s V.League. The team confirmed the development on Thursday.

The move ends de Guzman’s six-year stint with the Creamline Cool Smashers in the Premier Volleyball League, which saw her win six championships and eight Best Setter awards, along with four Finals MVP trophies.

She is the fifth Filipino to sign for a V.League club, after Jaja Santiago (formerly Saitama, now JT Marvelous), Dindin Santiago-Manabat (Toray, Kurobe), Bryan Bagunas (Oita Miyoshi) and Marck Espejo (Oita Miyoshi).

De Guzman confirmed to ABS-CBN News that she signed with Denso before the start of the 2023 PVL Invitational Conference, where she helped Creamline reach the finals. They lost to Japanese guest team Kurashiki Ablaze in a five-set thriller in the championship match, where De Guzman tallied five points and 33 excellent sets.

“I was contacted and invited by Denso through an agent prior to the Southeast Asian Games,” said de Guzman.

“I know I won’t be playing volleyball forever, and this opportunity came at the perfect time for me to be able to pursue a lifelong dream of playing as an import setter,” she added.

In a statement sent through their team manager Alan Acero, Creamline expressed their “pride and excitement” for de Guzman as she joins Denso.

“Her dedication, skill and leadership have been a cornerstone of Creamline’s success, and we have no doubt that she’ll leave an indelible mark wherever she goes,” the team said. “While we’ll undoubtedly miss her presence on the court, we wholeheartedly support her decision to pursue this unique opportunity.”

“While we’ll undoubtedly miss her presence on the court, we wholeheartedly support her decision to pursue this unique opportunity. These next few months may mark a temporary separation, but they’ll also be a testament to our unwavering commitment to the team and our players’ overall development,” they added.

“The management, her teammates and coaches stand behind Jia every step of the way. We eagerly await her return, ready to welcome her back with open arms and countless stories to share. The court will not be the same without her, but we’re confident that her journey will inspire us all.”

De Guzman joins a Denso team that placed sixth in the 2022-23 season with a 14-19 win-loss record. She will wear No. 11 for Denso, according to the club.

The playmaker, who is with her husband Miguel de Guzman in Japan, said the Denso organization “have been so welcoming” since their arrival.

“We know how important it is for me to be able to connect with the team, especially the spikers, so everyone has been actively teaching me how to speak some Japanese, and they also ask me to teach them how to speak English, too,” she said.

Denso also announced that they have signed Brazilian star Rosamaria Montibeller as an import. The wing spiker was part of the team that won silver in the Tokyo Olympics.

“I’m excited to be part of the Denso family next season,” said Montibeller in comments provided by the club. “I have always admired Japan and its culture. When I played an international match in Japan, I was warmly welcomed by the Japanese fans.”

“From now on, I would like to learn Japanese volleyball, grow together, compete, and achieve my goals.”

Aside from De Guzman, other Filipino volleyball players seeing action abroad this year are Santiago (JT Marvelous), Bagunas (Win Streak, Taiwan), Espejo (Incheon, Korea), MJ Phillips (Gwangju, Korea) and Iris Tolenada (GS Caltex Seoul, Korea).

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