Alas Pilipinas finishes 9th, ends Asiad on winning note

Alas Pilipinas ended their campaign in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on a high note.

Despite an early group stage exit, the Filipinas regained some measure of pride by winning three straight games in the classification round, capped by a 25-21, 25-9, 30-28, sweep of Hong Kong on Tuesday for a ninth-place finish in the women’s indoor volleyball competition at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium.

Bella Belen saved her best game for last, coming away with 18 points, including the game’s last three points to complete a sweep of the consolation round.

Alas will go home with its head held up high, following a gallant stand in its Asiad return after eight years.

Belen, who had 16 spikes, one ace and one kill block with 10 digs and , scored Alas’ fifth saved set point in the third frame. She then put the game away with back-to-back hits to close the one-hour, 24- minute encounter.

Angel Canino had 17 markers on 15 attacks and two kill blocks while posting 12 digs for Alas. Alyssa Solomon scored 10 of her 11 points on attacks for the Philippines, which finished eighth in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asiad before skipping the pandemic-delayed Hangzhou edition three years ago.

Alas encountered trouble in the third frame after Hong Kong kept it close all the way to the endgame.

Hong Kong reached set point, 24-23, after a heady 1-2 play by setter Wan Wun Wong. Eya Laure forced a deuce on the next play as Hong Kong took four more set point advantages.

Wing Ni Yim put Hong Kong up for the last time after tapping in the ball in front of the net. Belen then took matters into her own hands.

After punishing losses to China and Kazakhstan in the group stage, the Philippines swept past Qatar, Mongolia and Hong Kong.

Lam Shum scored 13 points, Wing Lam Chim had 12 while Yim had 11 for Hong Kong.