Waiting for Ersandrina Devega to Shine Again with the Women's National Volleyball Team

Outside hitter Ersandrina Devega Salsabila shone brightly when the women's national volleyball team faltered in the AVC Nations Cup tournament in Asia last June. Now, with a full-strength national team, Devega's brilliant performance is awaited again in the 2025 SEA V League tournament.

Devega and her teammates will begin their journey in the first round of the SEA V League 2025 by facing Vietnam in Nakhon Ratchasima, Friday (1/8/2025). For Devega, this is her second tournament with the national women's volleyball team.

The player commonly known as Caca was first called up to the national team in preparation for the AVC Nations Cup. In the tournament held in Vietnam from June 7 to 14, he marked his debut while also showcasing his great potential.

The national team finished in fifth place, losing out to two other Southeast Asian nations, Vietnam and the Philippines. Vietnam emerged as champions, while the Philippines finished runner-up.

When the national team dimmed, Devega was able to be a source of solace with his bright performance. Since his debut match against Iran in the group stage of the AVC Nations Cup, Devega has been able to accelerate by contributing 25 points. This number is the highest among all players on the court. Unfortunately, Devega's brilliance was not enough to lead the national team to victory after suffering a defeat of 2-3 (25-23, 23-25, 25-16, 19-25, 12-15).

Despite this, Devega managed to score 126 points in seven matches. Of these, 119 came from attacks, five from service aces, and two from blocks. The player, who plays for Jakarta Electric PLN in the 2025 Proliga, recorded an average attack percentage of 35.31 percent.

Not only that, Caca is also excellent in defense. The 25-year-old player recorded 69 successful ball receptions, second only to Hong Kong libero Hiu-Nok Michelle Cheung (71). She also ranks third among best diggers with 84 successful receptions. Only Michelle Cheung (96) and Indian volleyball player Shaalini Saravanan (86) recorded better scores.

Devega stated that the performance in the AVC Nations Cup was not without flaws. There are several aspects that he believes still need improvement, one of which is the first ball reception. This often occurred, especially during the opening match against Iran.

However, Devega stated that the experience at the AVC Nations Cup was very valuable for him. "I definitely feel more confident, especially since I have gained additional experience with the national team. I hope I can perform my best in the SEA V League," said Devega after the team's release at the Padepokan Voli Jenderal Polisi Kunarto, Sentul, Bogor Regency, Tuesday (29/7/2025).

In addition to having experience in the AVC Nations Cup, Devega is also confident because the national team is now at full strength. Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi and Arsela Nuari, who both missed the AVC Nations Cup, have returned to the squad. Their presence is expected to enhance the offensive capabilities of the national team.

Previously, both Megawati and Arsela were forced to miss matches due to injury recovery. Megawati also took time off for personal reasons. Under these circumstances, Indonesia's strength is lopsided. Furthermore, there is no genuine opponent in the squad.

"In addition, the training has also been routine. Yesterday, the preparation for the AVC Nations Cup was only a week, and now an additional week of training has been added for the SEA V League. Moreover, with the addition of Mega, Kak Arsela, and Mbak Asih (Titi Pangestuti), I believe that for myself and the team, we can play with more confidence and perform better than at the AVC," Devega stated.

A similar statement was made by the women's national team coach, Octavian. According to Octavian, the women's national team was able to perform well during the AVC Nations Cup, particularly in defense. However, they were weak in their attacking play. As a result, the presence of Arsela and Megawati will enhance the team's attacking strength.

Octavian also added that the coaching team already has an idea of the squad that will take the field in the first match against Vietnam. He hopes that Megawati can play from the very first match.

"We were motivated against Vietnam. We were inspired to beat them again," said Octavian.

Indonesia last won against Vietnam in the SEA V League 2019, which was still titled ASEAN Grand Prix. In two rounds of the tournament held in the Philippines, Indonesia successfully defeated Vietnam 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-15) and 3-1 (29-27, 25-20, 23-25, 25-17).

After that, Indonesia has consistently struggled against Vietnam. In fact, when just one step away from the AVC Challenge Cup 2023 championship title in Gresik, East Java, Indonesia was defeated 2-3 (18-25, 27-25, 25-21, 20-25, 13-15) by Vietnam in the final match.

Similarly in the SEA V League. After the inaugural edition in 2019, Indonesia has consistently lost to Vietnam in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions.

The SEA V Women's League is only participated in by four teams, namely Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Each team will face each other in this two-round tournament.

This year, after being held in Thailand until August 3, 2025, the SEA V League will continue in Vietnam from August 8 to 10, 2025. In each round, the team at the top of the standings will be declared the champion. Points from the two rounds will be accumulated to determine the final positions of the teams in the standings.

Now, with the presence of outstanding players in recent years such as Megawati and Arsela, along with Devega's impressive performance, great hopes are placed on the women's national team. If they can defeat Vietnam, the women's national team will not only boost optimism in the SEA V League but also in the Southeast Asian competition, including the upcoming SEA Games.