Alas Pilipinas Women are headed back to the semifinals of the AVC Women’s Nations Cup.
The Philippines steamrolled a Kazakhstan side missing key scorer Sana Anarkulova in straight sets, 25-21, 25-15, 25-19, on Thursday at the Doang Anh Gymnasium to finish atop Pool B and secure a second consecutive semifinals berth in the regional tilt.
With the win, the Filipinas completed the group stage with a 4-1 record, matching Kazakhstan’s slate but clinching the No. 1 spot in the pool via superior point ratio.
The victory was a satisfying redemption for the national team, which had previously bowed to the same Kazakh squad in the semifinals of the 2024 edition of the tournament.
Returning to full force, the deadly trio of Bella Belen, Angel Canino, and Alyssa Solomon showed exactly why they’re cornerstones of the national program.
Belen starred with a commanding all-around performance, racking up 16 points off 14 kills and two blocks, while also anchoring the defense with 11 excellent receptions and three digs. Canino, back in the starting unit after being rested in their match against New Zealand, added 13 points alongside 11 digs and six receptions in a display of two-way brilliance.
Solomon continued her impressive run with 14 points, including two service aces and a block, and chipped in five digs to round out a balanced effort.
Middle blockers Fifi Sharma and Dell Palomata added five points each, providing key touches at the net and shoring up the frontline against a Kazakhstan side that visibly missed Anarkulova, who was sidelined due to a right ankle sprain sustained in their previous game versus Iran.
Despite their depleted lineup, Kazakhstan tried to mount a rally in the third set, managing to tie the frame at 17-all. But the Filipinas responded with a clinical 5-0 scoring run, sparked by back-to-back kills from Solomon and Belen and aided by Kazakh errors, to pull away, 22-17.
Kazakhstan’s Margarita Belchenko momentarily halted the surge with a cross-court hit, but Belen fired back-to-back points to bring the Philippines to match point. Solomon then sealed the deal with a sizzling kill that deflated Kazakhstan’s hopes and punched Alas’ ticket to the semifinals.
Belchenko and Tatyana Nikitina tried to carry the load for Kazakhstan, scoring nine and 12 points respectively, but without their veteran leader Anarkulova, the team struggled to keep up with the pace and power of the Filipinas.
The Philippine team now awaits a likely semifinal matchup against Chinese Taipei, with the knockout stage set to begin tomorrow.
Iran, the only other squad in contention in Pool B, had a 3-1 record heading into its final match but was already ruled out of the semis due to an inferior point ratio compared to the Philippines and Kazakhstan.
With their confidence riding high and momentum on their side, Alas Pilipinas look poised to make a deeper run this year—and perhaps even claim the Nations Cup title that narrowly eluded them last season.
