IMPOSSIBLE is nothing as Alas Pilipinas pulled off a monumental Independence Day win over Kazakhstan, 25-21, 25-15, 25-19, to top Pool B and advance to the 2025 AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup semifinals on Thursday in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Both teams will share similar 4-1 win-loss records to end pool play, with the Philippines ahead on match points to seal the top seed (13 to 12).
READ: Alas sweeps New Zealand to keep Nations Cup semis hopes alive
The nationals will be paired with the No. 2 seed in Pool A, either two-time defending champion Vietnam or Chinese Taipei, in the knockout semifinals on Friday.
Alas took full advantage of an undermanned world No. 30 Kazakh side in the absence of injured top scorer Sana Anarkulova, who tweaked her ankle in their penultimate pool play win over Iran.
As such, Alas gained a measure of revenge on the team that cut their dream run short in the knockout semifinals of last year’s tournament in straight sets, 23-25, 21-25, 14-25, on home soil.
Angel-Bella-Alyssa trio much too good
This year, the Philippines returned the favor.
By fielding the UAAP star trio of Angel Canino, Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon off the bat, Alas built an early lead that grew by as much as six in the opening frame.
Kazakhstan was able to trim the Philippine lead on multiple occasions led by their second ace winger in Tatyana Nikitina.
But with a lethal Alas troika on hand, the nationals defied the odds yet again.
That slim edge in the opening set ballooned to as much as eight in the second frame where the Philippines came back from 6-9 down and fired a 10-3 blitz to take a commanding two sets to none lead.
And it would be Solomon with a lethal attack who’d land the cherry on top of one of the biggest wins in Philippine volleyball history to date.
The Belen-Canino-Solomon trio put up 43 combined points in an unlikely sweep over the Asian powerhouse and reigning silver medalist.
For her part, three-time UAAP MVP Belen came alive in the third set to close out the match with 16 points, 11 receptions, and three digs.
Canino set the tone early as her 13-piece along with 11 digs and six receptions helped the Filipinos set the pace, right before Solomon hit her 14th and final point paired with five big digs to finish it all off.
(More) history awaits Alas
Alas is now one win away from besting its historic Challenge Cup bronze-medal finish last year which ended a 63-year medal drought in AVC-sanctioned play.
Before inching closer to another huge sporting milestone, the Philippines has now reached its highest FIVB women's volleyball world ranking yet at No. 47 and eighth overall in Asia.
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