Alas Pilipinas is unbeaten no more.
Coming off two big wins, the Jorge de Brito-squad suffered their first loss in the 2025 AVC Nations Cup—a 25-16, 21-25, 26-24, 23-25, 13-15 five-set heartbreak—at the hands of Iran at the Doang Anh Gymnasium in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Alas Pilipinas actually got off to a rousing start, taking the action to Iran on its way to winning the first set, 25-16. Iran, however, bounced back vengefully, turning the tables on the Philippines, 25-21, in the second set. Alas then retook control with a pulsating 26-24 win in Set 3, putting the team on the proverbial hill.
Unfortunately for the Filipinas, Iran proved steadier down the stretch, snatching the fourth set, 25-23, to tie the match at two sets apiece and then clinching the win with a 15-13 victory in the final set.
Angel Canino, Eya Laure Star for Alas Pilipinas in Losing Cause
Leading the way for Alas Pilipinas was Angel Canino, who fired 20 points on 17 kills, 2 blocks, and an ace in another superb performance. Eya Laure backstopped the youngster with 16 points and 14 digs although she wasn’t fielded in the final set. Dell Palomata chipped in 10, while Fifi Sharma added 8.
Fatemeh Khalili led all scorers with 21 points on 19 spikes and 2 blocks. Masoumeh Masi added 16 points, while Zahra Salehi scattered 12 markers on 6 blocks, 5 attacks, and 1 block.
The error-filled loss—Iran committed 36, Alas Pilipinas had 32—dropped the Philippines to 2-1 in Pool B and into third place. With only the top two seeds advancing to the crossover semifinals, Alas Pilipinas will likely need to win its final two matches in the single round-robin phase to make it to the next round.
Alas Pilipinas will next take on winless New Zealand on Wednesday after a well-deserved one-day break. It will conclude the round-robin stage on Thursday with a date against unbeaten Kazakhstan.
Watch the full highlights here:
