Alas Pilipinas proved they are a force to be reckoned with when they completed their Group A sweep after dismantling Chinese Taipei in straight sets 25-13, 25-21, 25-18, on Sunday evening at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Fresh from being benched to rest in their previous game, Eya Laure shone the brightest as she led her team in scoring to capture their fourth consecutive win, while Vannie Gandler showed improvement on her second game as a starter.
Laure was hailed the Player of the Game after carving out 15 points from 12 attacks, two aces and a block, while Gandler procured 12 markers from 11 attacks and a block, courtesy of excellent tosses brought by Jia De Guzman.
Outside hitter Faith Nisperos also improved her two-point performance in their previous game drastically, after she logged eight points over Chinese Taipei.
Thea Gagate, meanwhile, towered over their foes after scoring three points from blocks in her 11-point total, as fellow middle blocker Cherry Nunag also stood tall after garnering four points.
The Alas Women did not let the Filipino fans down as they dominated throughout the game, especially early in the third set when they established a 10-point lead with a 15-5 score.
Despite a minor pushback from Chinese Taipei, Laure, Gagate, Gandler, and Nisperos maintained the lead with Julia Coronel calling the shots when De Guzman was subbed out, to seal the win.
"The bench is pretty deep. So, each of us is ready to enter the game, ready to deliver. Even Julia Coronel as a setter," De Guzman said.
"It's good for us at least we're a bit more unpredictable for our opponent."
Alas Pilipinas will face Kazakhstan, who ended their preliminary phase with three wins and one loss, in the semifinal round on Tuesday at 7 p.m.