STRONG Group-Pilipinas turned a bounce-back win into a championship berth in the 2026 Formosa Women's Volleyball Invitational Tournament.
The SGA selection swept Chinese-Taipei club Earth Power EPV, 25-20, 25-19, 26-24, on Saturday to emerge on top of a three-way logjam in Pool B and advance to the winner-take-all final against Japan's Aleeza Aichi.
READ: Strong Group selection falls to Thais in Taiwan Invitational
Trisha Tubu starred in the timely victory, erupting for 28 points on 24 attacks and four blocks as SGA made sure its previous setback would not be its last word in the tournament.
The result left Strong Group, Thailand's Supreme TIP Chonburi-E.Tech and Earth Power with identical 1-1 records, with the Philippine team advancing as the pool winner with a superior set ratio.
SGA will now take on Japanese club Aleeza Aichi for the championship on Sunday at 6 p.m. Manila time.
For Zam Nolasco, who chipped in 12 points, the finals berth was a welcome bonus for a squad that came into the tournament simply looking to make the most out of the international competition.
"We just played our game today and we're not expecting too much. We just played our game well," said Nolasco.
"We just accepted our loss last game because we just want to gain experience and exposure here, and we made the most out of it."
Strongest effort yet
Behind Tubu's heavy scoring, SGA took care of the first two frames before Earth Power mounted its strongest resistance with its own title hopes on the line in the third.
The Taiwanese side pushed the Philippine side beyond regulation, but Strong Group came through in the clutch for a 26-24 escape that completed the all-important sweep.
Ces Molina matched Nolasco's 12-point contribution to provide another steady source of offense, while Jonna Perdido added seven points and Riza Nogales pitched in six.
What started as a trip largely geared toward gaining experience and exposure has now left SGA with something bigger to play for.
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