Garcia relishes different Alas Pilipinas challenge

Jude Garcia —MARLO CUETO

Jude Garcia has long been one of the faces of Philippine men’s volleyball, emerging as a dominant force in the Spikers’ Turf with a league-record five conference MVP awards and back-to-back championships with Criss Cross.

But for the two-time Spikers’ Turf Season MVP, representing the country remains a different kind of achievement.

“It means a lot to me. I’m very thankful for everything that happened this season with Criss Cross—the championships, MVPs, and all those achievements are already huge bonuses,” Garcia told the Inquirer in Filipino. “But as an athlete, it still feels different when you’re given the chance to represent your country.”

“If I’m given the opportunity to be part of Alas and compete internationally in indoor volleyball, that would be a huge honor and a new challenge for me. I want to test myself at a higher level and help the team in any way I can,” he added.

Although the final training pool has yet to be formed, Garcia has joined practice sessions under Italian coach Angiolino Frigoni alongside fellow Spikers’ Turf standouts and UAAP and NCAA players ahead of Alas Pilipinas’ SEA V.League campaign in Candon in July and Jakarta, Indonesia.

Garcia, a three-time Southeast Asian Games beach volleyball bronze medalist, has once again expressed his interest in national team duty after skipping last year’s training pool to prioritize his family.

“It’s also extra motivation for me to keep working harder and improving every day because carrying the name of the Philippines comes with a bigger responsibility,” Garcia said.

“I’m just really happy to be invited again to the Alas training. It’s exciting to train under Coach Frigoni, and hopefully I can make the final lineup.”

The former Far Eastern University star relishes the opportunity to train under Frigoni, who steered Alas Pilipinas to a breakthrough 2025 campaign highlighted by a historic FIVB Men’s World Championship debut and a bronze medal in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.

“When you’re under Coach Frigoni, you really have to be attentive to everything he says during training so you can quickly understand what he wants from the team,” Garcia said.

“I think all I can do is give my best in every training session and try to be a good example to the others both in how I play and how I carry myself on and off the court.”

Alas mainstays Lloyd Josafat, Al-Bukharie Sali, and Vince Lorenzo have also attended training since May 11. INQ