Alas Pilipinas Women closed out their 20th Asian Games campaign the way they’d played the entire classification round: taking care of business. The Filipina spikers beat Hong Kong in the ninth-place match on Tuesday at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium, 25-21, 25-9, 30-28, cruising through the first two sets before needing every bit of an extended third to finish the job.
In the end, Capital1 Solar Spikers’ Bella Belen made the difference in the end. Belen’s variety of attacks, paired with Angel Canino‘s sharp hitting, proved too much for Hong Kong’s floor and net defense throughout the match, but it was the final set where Belen truly took over.
Alas Pilipinas Women Close Out Their Asiad Stint in Style
With Hong Kong leading 28-27 and sitting on its fifth set point, Belen answered with a drop shot to level things at 28-all. The Philippines then earned their first match point at 29-28 after a Belen push found its way off Wan Wun Wong’s block, before Belen closed it out entirely with a long shot to seal the 30-28 finish. It capped a campaign that ended on a genuine high note, with three straight wins to close things out.
The third set hadn’t been a formality before that finish, either. Alas Pilipinas Women had actually led by four midway through, 14-10, before Hong Kong seized control at 16-15 and turned the frame into a genuine fight.
Belen led all scorers with 18 points built on 16 attacks, 1 block, and 1 ace. Canino wasn’t far behind, tallying 17 points on 15 attacks and 2. Alyssa Solomon added 11 points on 10 spikes and one service ace, while Amie Provido chipped in six markers.
Hong Kong, despite pushing the match to its limit in that third set, finishes the tournament in 10th place.
