Belen welcomes Frigoni with open arms

Alas Pilipinas ace winger Bella Belen looks forward to working with interim head coach Angiolino Frigoni following a major coaching reorganization in the national team program.

Belen, who has been in the senior squad since 2023, wasn’t surprised at all when the Philippine National Volleyball Federation announced the appointment of the decorated Italian mentor, replacing Japanese tactician Taka Minowa.

Frigoni will take over the coaching job on an interim basis after his transfer from the Alas Men, who are now under former coach Dante Alinsunurin.

“It wasn’t really a surprise for us since, of course, as a player from the national team, we’ve been hearing things,” said Belen when asked about the development in the national team after her game with Capital1 in the Premier Volleyball League Season 10 All-Filipino Conference Siklab series on Thursday at the Ynares Center-Antipolo.

The high-scoring open spiker will play for the national team under a third foreign coach, after Brazilian Jorge Souza De Brito and Minowa.

“Whoever takes over the national team, we know as players that we’ll be learning a lot, especially us young players. Of course, whoever is appointed (as head coach) we will pick up whatever we can learn from that coach,” Belen said.

The National University product understands that since the Alas program has been a revolving door of coaches, the team will again adjust under a new system.

“We know it’s gonna be difficult. Another new system again. So, we’ll just try to take it slowly,” the 24-year-old Belen said.

A strict disciplinarian with a deep background in international tournaments, Frigoni is expected to turn Alas Women into an even more competitive squad, much like how he wove his magic with the men’s team.

The 74-year-old coach is no stranger to handling a women’s squad.

He was the Italian women’s national team coach from 1998 to 2000. Frigoni steered the squad to a bronze medal in the 1999 European Championship and secured a historic first-ever qualification for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Frigoni also called the shots for the Netherlands’ national women’s team from 2001 to 2004.

He was appointed Alas Men mentor in mid-2024 and replaced Brazilian Sergio Veloso.

Under Frigoni’s watch, Alas Men finished third in the second leg of the 2024 SEA V.League, 19th in the 32-nation 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship and bagged bronze in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games –- the Philippines’ first podium since a runner-up finish in the 2019 edition under Alinsunurin.

“I’m excited to see what he could bring to the team. To learn from what he can add to what the national team program has achieved in the past years. I’m excited to see the result of this new step for the national team program,” Belen said.

Alas Women has built momentum to end the year with a historic silver in the second leg of the 2026 SEA V Cup before finishing ninth in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, capped by three straight victories.