Alas Pilipinas fires warning shot

Alas Pilipinas’ silver medal finish in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup says more than just the Philippines achieving a historic feat.

It has sent a strong statement to the competition in the region that the Filipinas are moving in the right direction to challenge the powers that be.

Host Vietnam, backed by a taller and more experienced crew, bullied its way into a straight-sets win over Alas in a one-sided final Saturday night to complete a three-peat in front of its home crowd at the jampacked Dong Anh District Center for Culture, Information and Sports in Hanoi.

However, even the victors expressed concern about Alas’ serious threat to the balance of power in Southeast Asia.

“The Philippines will undoubtedly remain a serious contender for Vietnam this year,” Vietnamese coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet said following his team’s 25-15, 25-17, 25-14 gold medal match win.

The mentor is talking about the challenge that Alas will pose in the two-leg Southeast Asian V.League starting next month and the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December, with the pace of its progress.

Alas, bronze medalist in last year’s Manila edition, had a fairytale run in the tournament following a 4-1 win-loss record in the preliminary round, including a stunning straight-sets upset over Kazakhstan.

The Pinay volleybelles behind the late-game heroics of Eya Laure and an inspired triple-double outing of youngblood Bella Belen outlasted Chinese Taipei in a cardiac five-set semifinal for a breakthrough championship appearance in an Asian level competition in 64 years.

Although outmatched by the Vietnamese, led by the duo of eventual Most Valuable Player Thi Bich Tuyen Nguyen and veteran star Thi Thanh Thuy Tran, Alas fought hard and showed defiance amid overwhelming odds until the final whistle.

Alas’ character drew admiration from its conquerors.

“The Philippines team delivered a remarkable performance this season,” Kiet said while mentioning the names of Angel Canino and Belen as Alas’s most impressive talents.

“In addition to familiar faces, player No. 12 (Canino) and No. 4 (Belen) stood out with impressive performances despite their modest height.”

For now, Alas is celebrating its silver that glitters like gold.

“It means everything, honestly, because it’s hard to see the sport’s growth, the team’s growth without the result,” Alas team captain and back-to-back tournament Best Setter Jia de Guzman said.