With Eya Laure and Bella Belen leading the way, Alas Pilipinas just secured the Philippines’ best finish in the 2025 AVC Women’s Nations Cup with a hard-fought 25-17, 25-21, 18-25, 15-25, 15-12, thriller against Chinese Taipei on Friday at the Doang Anh Gymnasium.
The Jorge de Brito-helmed squad, a mix of PVL veterans and young guns, looked headed for another rhree-set win to follow up its stunning sweep of Kazakhstan on Thursday as it raced out to a two-set advantage. But Chinese Taipei was unfazed, turning things around with a 25-18 victory in the third set and then tying things up with a dominant 25-15 victory in the fourth set.
Just like that, what looked like a cake walk turned into a cat fight real quick, with both squads eyeing a spot in the final and a guaranteed silver.
The Eya Laure Takeover
Early in the decider, Alas Pilipinas looked to be faltering, seemingly shell-shocked by Chinese Taipei’s furious fight back and their fantastic, nearly impenetrable floor defense that kept Angel Canino largely in control.
Enter Eya Laure.
With the Philippines trailing 5-3 early in the fifth set, de Brito reinserted Laure, along with Bella Belen and Fifi Sharma. The substitutions proved timely, with the former UST Growling Tigress firing 6 of her 9 points the rest of the way as she completely took over for Alas Pilipinas.
Then again, that’s nothing new for Eya Laure, who has built a career coming up huge in big games and big moments. And against Chinese Taipei, with a gold-medal match on the line, Eya Laure did what she’s done so many times before—in college, in the PVL, and even internationally.
It was a timely take over to say the least, and Alas Pilipinas rode Laure’s hot streak all the way to the finish line, when a block touch off a Belen attack pushed the Philippines to the final—the country’s first volleyball championship match in an international competition since 1997.
Young Guns Play Big
While Eya Laure took over down the stretch, Alas Pilipinas’ young stars carried the cudgels in the first four sets. Belen, in particular, was sensational, finishing with a match-high 15 points to go along with 6 excellent digs and 19 excellent receptions. Solomon added 12 points on 9 attacks, 2 blocks, and an ace, while Sharma had her best match in the tournament with 10 points on 3 kill blocks and two aces.
Chen Chie paced Chinese Taipei with 19 points, 13 digs, and 11 receptions. Liu Shuang Ling added 17 markers, while Chang Yi-Chi finished with 14 points in a gallant losing effort.
Waiting for Alas Pilipinas in the final will be Vietnam, arguably the region’s yardstick in women’s volleyball. The gold medal match will take place later this Saturday night at 9:00 p.m., also at the Doang Anh Gymnasium. Chinese Taipei and Kazakhstan will battle it out for bronze.
Watch Alas Pilipinas’s historic win here:
