Alas Girls smash Singapore

Alas Pilipinas Girls took off with aplomb after dominating Singapore in straight sets, 25-14, 25-6, 25-12, to clinch its first win in the 22nd Princess Cup Southeast Asian Under-18 Women’s Volleyball Championship at Nakhon Pathom Gym in Thailand on Saturday afternoon.

University of Santo Tomas (UST) Girls Volleyball standout Kimberly Rubin led the way in scoring a one-sided victory while her fellow Tigresses Lianne Penuliar, Avril Bron and Jaila Adrao provided ample support.

Rubin stepped on the gas by dropping eight points in the second set alone to limit the hapless Singaporeans to just six points, while Adrao secured the set with an attack.

Riding the momentum of their commanding performance in the first and second frames, Kings’ Montessori School’s Ashley Macalinao stepped into the spotlight after leading her team in offense by scoring five points in the third set.

Macalinao’s heroics led Alas Girls to establish a 12-point cushion. With the comfortable gap, Akeyla Bartolabac of National University Nazareth School (NUNS) oozed composure as she delivered the game-winning ace.

Alas Pilipinas will face Malaysia in their second game at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday (Manila time).

Alas Girls, mainly composed of UST and NUNS players, are also set to face Thailand, Australia, and Indonesia in the competition composed of six teams where the top two squads are set to face each other in the knockout finals on 13 June.