STRONG Group-Pilipinas flashed its fighting spirit but could not turn the tables on Thailand's Supreme TIP Chonburi-E.Tech, 13-25, 20-25, 25-16, 21-25, in its debut at the 2026 Formosa Women's Volleyball Invitational Tournament on Friday in Taiwan.
The SGA select squad was on the ropes after dropping the first two sets before turning in a blistering response in the third, racing away to a nine-point victory behind a balanced scoring front.
READ: Farm Fresh, ZUS Coffee join forces as SGA-Pilipinas in Taiwan
But the comeback bid fizzled out in the fourth, with the three-time Thailand League champions and two-time Asian club champions steadying themselves behind their big-game experience to shut down the SGA select team's comeback bid.
Farm Fresh's Trisha Tubu produced a match-high 26 points to lead Strong Group-Pilipinas, while ZUS Coffee's Chinnie Arroyo backed her with 23.
Team captain Ces Molina chipped in 19 markers, with Zam Nolasco and AC Miner contributing 13 each.
Supreme TIP Chonburi-E.Tech drew on a roster packed with seasoned veterans and rising talents, led by two names well known to Philippine volleyball fans in former Creamline champion import Kuttika Kaewpin and former Thai national team stalwart Pleumjit Thinkaow.
The Philippine contingent is a 14-woman SGA selection composed of Farm Fresh and ZUS Coffee standouts. Farm Fresh head coach Koji Tsuzurabara serves as chief tactician, while ZUS Coffee mentor Jerry Yee heads the assistant coaches alongside Farm Fresh deputy Kungfu Reyes and ZUS Coffee consultant Shaq delos Santos.
Strong Group-Pilipinas returns to the court on Saturday against host Chinese Taipei at 7 p.m., looking to even its record in the Taiwanese tournament.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
