CANDON, Ilocos Sur — Alas Pilipinas’ chances of advancing to the 2026 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Volleyball Cup will not only require winning against Chinese Taipei today but also a whole lot of luck.
Sporting a 2-2 win-loss record in Pool A, the Filipinas are in a must-win situation when they take on the vengeful Taiwanese in the 3 p.m. clash at the Candon City Arena here.
Currently in third spot behind unbeaten squads South Korea (3-0) and Chinese Taipei (3-0), Alas must take care of business first and pray for certain teams to drop their remaining games.
But the task at hand for the Philippines is not an easy one, as the Taiwanese are not only unbeaten, they are also eager for payback after a painful loss to last year’s Alas squad in the semifinal.
Alas, which had to revamp its roster after the core of the previous edition’s team declined to take another tour of duty, is looking to bounce back from a 16-25, 18-25, 22-25 defeat at the hands of South Korea last Tuesday.
“At this point, we’ll have to give our all. We learned a lot and are still learning a lot more. So, we’ll face our game on Thursday with all our hearts,” Alas team captain Alyssa Valdez said.
Aside from the 32-year-old Valdez, the Shaq delos Santos-mentored Pinay spikers will also rely on Alyssa Solomon, Nina Ytang, Thea Gagate, Ces Molina, Jovelyn Gonzaga and Ara Galang to keep Alas’ slim semis hopes alive.
“All we can do now is give our best and everything that we can give. We’ll try our best,” Galang said.
Alas must win by straight or four sets to better its chances of advancing to the Final Four. The Philippines will be eliminated from contention even if it wins in a five-set contest as Taiwan will end up with a higher match point earned.
