Juan Carlo Mercado

Vietnam proved too strong, yet Alas stood tall—turning last year’s bronze into a gallant silver finish.

Photo Courtesy of OneSports PH.

Alas Pilipinas still marked history in the AVC Women's Volleyball Nation Cup, delivering its best campaign in 64 years after securing the 2nd podium spot in a 15-25, 17-25, 14-25, fall in the championship match, on June 14 at the Đông Anh Gymnasium in Hanoi.

While the Philippines clinched the silver medal, it didn't stop its players from bagging gold awards; Jia De Guzman was awarded as the best setter of the tournament, Dell Palomata as the best middle blocker, and Angel Canino as the best open hitter.

“From our win yesterday against Kazakhstan, the moment we went to the dugout, we knew that today was also going to be a hard game. But we’re very grateful that we surpassed that test of character,” De Guzman stated.

“Last year, our best brought us to bronze, and this time, it’s going to bring us to higher heights,” she added.

The second-place finish by the Alas Girls revealed a promising future to its nation through strong veteran leadership and a talented young core of Bella Belen, Alyssa Solomon, Angel Canino, and others.

While the Filipinas pulled all their volleyball cards against the regional powerhouse, it proved to be insufficient as the tandem of Bich Tuyen and Tran Thi Thanh Thuy punched in a combined 37-point output.

Alyssa Solomon tried to breathe life into the Alas offense in the opening frame, punctuating four points, which all came from attacks, but was still unable to keep up with the Vietnamese duo.

In the succeeding set, Alas Pilipinas slightly pulled ahead in the second set with a tight 14-13 gap, but the Vietnamese stole the show with a 7-0 surge led by Thi Bich Tuyen Nguyen’s attack that eventually led to the set 2 win.

The Filipinas tried to be within striking distance, clinging on to a 10-15 deficit while trying to spark a come-from-behind opportunity. 

Their best efforts weren’t enough, as no Alas player scored double-digits, with Alyssa Solomon topping the leaderboards with eight markers, followed by Nitura, who injected six points.