Peter Jandrei Melan

Alas Pilipinas’ valiant run at the 2025 VTV International Women’s Volleyball Cup came to a disappointing close, as the national team fell to a composed Chinese Taipei side in the bronze medal match, 25-17, 26-24, 25-22, at the Vinh Phuc Gymnasium, July 5.

Photo Courtesy of Facebook/USports.

Aiming to return to the VTV Cup podium for the first time since Choco Mucho’s third-place finish in 2023, Alas Pilipinas instead settled for fourth place, marking the second straight year the Philippines missed out on a medal in the tournament. 

Last year, a National University-based squad placed tenth.

This time, it was a vengeful Chinese Taipei that denied the Filipinas. 

Having lost to the Philippines in a previous high-stakes matchup at the AVC Challenge Cup, Taipei came in with fire, racing to a 13-6 opening-set lead that set the tone for the rest of the match. 

Their aggressive start left Alas scrambling to find footing early.

After cruising through the first set, Chinese Taipei weathered a late rally in the second. Alas erased a 19-22 deficit behind a three-point scoring burst from Brooke Van Sickle, briefly grabbing a 23-22 edge. 

But Taipei clawed back, regaining the lead with smart ball distribution and capitalizing on a critical block against Vanie Gandler to claim a 2-0 advantage.

The third set saw the Philippines mounting another determined stand, taking a 22-21 lead after MJ Phillips connected on a quick attack. 

But once again, Chinese Taipei responded under pressure, stringing together four straight points–ending with an unfortunate attack error by Gandler to sweep the match and secure back-to-back bronze finishes in the VTV Cup.

Despite the tough ending, the VTV campaign showcased the continued progress of Alas Pilipinas on the international stage. 

The Filipinas impressed in the group phase, defeating China’s Sichuan Wuliangye and the Australian national team to finish second in Pool A. 

They followed up with a quarterfinal win over Est Cola, Thailand’s U21 team, before bowing out in the semis to defending champions Korabelka of Russia in four sets.

Throughout the tournament, Alas was led by the steady play of PVL MVP Brooke Van Sickle, with strong support from MJ Phillips, Vanie Gandler, and Alleiah Malaluan, who stood out in the semifinal round.

Though the team leaves Vietnam without a medal, the campaign serves as a valuable tune-up ahead of a busy calendar. Up next for Alas Pilipinas is the 2025 SEA V.League, where they will defend their double bronze haul from last year. 

The first leg runs from August 1 to 3 in Vietnam, followed by the second leg from August 8 to 10 in Thailand.

The tournament also forms part of their broader build-up to the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in December in Thailand, where the national team aims to solidify its rise and reclaim regional glory.