Alas Pilipinas are headed to the semis of the 2025 AVC Women’s Nations Cup. This after they pulled out a stunning 25-21, 25-15, 25-19 sweep of erstwhile unbeaten Kazakhstan on Thursday at the Doang Anh Gymnasium in Vietnam.
With the win, the Philippines finished atop Pool B with a 4-1 record. Alas Pilipinas and Kazakhstan actually have the same record after five matches each, but the former secured the top spot due to a superior quotient. The Philippines also secured a semis stint in the regional tilt and as the top seed no less.
The sweep was redemption for Alas Pilipinas, who lost to the same squad last year in the semis. It also showed the team’s resilience and grit as they won two must-win matches—the first being their sweep of New Zealand on Wednesday—after bowing out to Iran on Monday.
Youngsters Carry the Fight for Alas Pilipinas
Angel Canino, Alyssa Solomon, and Bella Belen, generally regarded as among the country’s best young volleybelles, proved as much, leading Alas Pilipinas to the victory with superb performances.
At the forefront was the PVL-bound Belen, who tallied 16 points on 14 kills and 2 blocks on top of 11 excellent receptions and 3 digs. Canino, who sat out the New Zealand match, returned with 13 points alongside 11 digs and 6 receptions. Solomon, meanwhile, added 14 markers anchored on 2 aces and 1 block.
Tatyana Nikitina fired 12 points for Kazakhstan, who played without leading scorer and team captain Sana Anarkulova. Margarita Belchenko added 9, but her and Nikitina’s gallant stand wasn’t enough against the Philippines’ firepower and terrific defense anchored by Belen and Canino and middle blockers Fifi Sharma and Dell Palomata.
What’s Next for Alas Pilipinas?
The semis is the next step for the national team, and its sweep of Kazakhstan means it will likely avoid Vietnam, arguably Southeast Asia’s biggest volleyball superpower and last year’s AVC Women’s Nations Cup winner. As of press time, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei are still scheduled to play against Australia and India, respectively.
