ALAS Pilipinas were troubled by Vietnam’s towering one-two punch in Tranh Thi Thanh Thuy (T4) and Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen in their 2025 AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup final loss on Saturday.
READ: Alas brings home historic silver even after bowing to Vietnam in AVC Nations Cup
For Vietnamese coach Nguyen Kiet Tuan, Alas’ own deadly champion-MVP duo in Angel Canino and Bella Belen also posed a promising problem in their gold medal conquest.
What impressed Nguyen the most about two of the country’s star spikers was their ability to showcase power and versatility even with a visible height disadvantage.
“In addition to familiar faces, player No. 12 (Canino) and No. 4 (Belen) stood out with impressive performances despite their modest height,” the Vietnam tactician told reporters shortly after completing the Nations Cup three-peat over the Philippines.
Belen stands at 5-foot-7 while Canino, the tournament’s best outside hitter, is listed at 5-foot-11.
This is where the stark contrast lies.
Canino’s co-best outside hitter in Vietnam captain T4 is the host nation’s tallest player at 6-foot-3. Two-time tournament MVP Nguyen, meanwhile, is 6-foot-2.
Heart is might
Undersized as Alas may be, it still scaled the highest of heights by any Philippine volleyball team in AVC play over the last 64 years by seizing its first-ever Nations Cup silver.
The title game per se did swing in one direction, 25-15, 25-17, 25-14, but it was an overall Philippine performance that has put the rest of Asian volleyball on notice — including its fourth-ranked team.
“The Philippine team delivered a remarkable performance [in this tournament],” Nguyen said.
“However, perhaps due to having played a grueling five-set match in the semifinals, they were drained of energy.
“Nevertheless, the Philippines will undoubtedly remain a serious contender for Vietnam in this year.”
The Filipinos won’t have to wait too long before crossing paths with Vietnam yet again once the 2025 VTV Cup in Vinh Phuc goes underway, one in which both nations were drawn in the same pool.
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