Alas Pilipinas had already made history by getting into the finals of the 2025 AVC Women’s Nations Cup. But they couldn’t add more to their historic run as they ran into the brick wall that is Vietnam, who put on an absolute masterclass in sweeping the Philippines, 15-25, 17-25, 14-25, in the gold medal match on Saturday night at the Doang Anh Gymnasium in Hanoi.
Vietnam, considered as the yardstick in women’s volleyball in the region alongside Thailand, dominated right from the get-go, pummeling the Filipinas in the very first set and turning back Alas Pilipinas’ spirited charge in the second. This is Vietnam’s third straight Nations Cup title, and it earned for them a ticket to the 2026 Asian Championship.
With the gold in sight, the home team went for the jugular in the third set, racing out to a big lead early and cruising toward victory. Doing heavy damage for Vietnam was the prolific and dynamic pair of Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen and Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, who underscored their dominance early by combining for 16 points in the first set alone.
Bich Tuyen fired a game-high 20 points on 16 attacks, 2 aces, and 2 blocks, while Thanh Thuy put up 17 markersto go along her 3 blocks, 1 ace, 7 digs, and 5 excellent receptions.
Young Stars Silenced to End the 2025 AVC Women’s Nations Cup
Vietnam proved a cut above the Philippines in the gold medal match of the 2025 AVC Women’s Cup—so much so that none of Alas Pilipinas’ big guns even got to double-digits.
Alyssa Solomon came closest with 8 points, followed by Shaina Nitura’s 6—all coming in the third set—and 4 each from Angel Canino and Fifi Sharma. Eya Laure, Alas Pilipinas’ hero in their win versus Chinese Taipei, was held to just 3 markers while Bella Belen was limited to a solitary point, her lowest in the 2025 AVC Women’s Nations Cup.
Despite the loss, Belen and company nonetheless made history with their silver-medal finish as it is the highest ever placing for the Philippines in an AVC tournament in 64 years. The silver also surpassed last year’s bronze medal, also at the AVC Women’s Nations Cup, and marked the country’s first silver medal in an international volleyball event since the 1997 Southeast Asian Games.
