Alyssa Valdez believes Alas Pilipinas still has plenty of room to grow despite suffering its first setback in the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup.
After opening the tournament with a straight-sets win over Uzbekistan, the Philippines fell short of securing a second consecutive victory, absorbing a hard-fought 22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 15-25, 11-15 loss to Australia on Sunday.
For Valdez, the result was disappointing, but it also highlighted valuable lessons that the newly assembled national team can carry moving forward.
“Sayang, but we know na madami pa talaga kaming kailangan matutunan as a team,” said the Alas Pilipinas captain.
Alas Pilipinas Fights Back
The Philippines showed resilience after dropping the opening set, responding with victories in the next two frames to move within a set of clinching the match.
However, Australia regained control in the fourth set before capitalizing on a series of costly errors in the decider to escape with the victory.
Alas Pilipinas finished the match with 30 errors, several of which came at crucial moments down the stretch.
The Australians seized the opportunity in the fifth set, eventually pulling away to hand the hosts their first defeat of the tournament.
Lots of Room for Improvement
Valdez, who helped ignite the Philippines’ comeback attempts throughout the match, acknowledged that the team must improve its execution, particularly in situations that often determine outcomes at the international level.
“Ang dami naming lapses in terms of small balls, lalo na mga free balls na minsan lang namin makukuha sa ganitong tournament. So we hope na mas ma-polish namin ’yun at mas ma-correct sa trainings namin,” said the three-time PVL MVP.
“Hopefully habang tumatagal yung tournament, mas marami kaming ma-apply sa mga upcoming games namin.”
Valdez finished with 11 points, 12 excellent digs, and 5 excellent receptions, once again providing leadership and stability for a squad still building chemistry after only a short preparation period.
Despite the setback, the veteran outside hitter remains confident that the experience gained from the loss will help accelerate the team’s development as it continues its campaign in the continental tournament.
Alas Pilipinas will look to quickly bounce back when it faces Kyrgyzstan in its next Pool A assignment on Monday, June 8.
