At A Glance
- Alas Pilipinas got back on track and held off China-based club Sichuan, 25-12, 25-22, 19-25, 25-15, for its first win in the 2025 VTV International Women's Volleyball Cup at Vinh Phuc Gymnasium on Monday, June 30.
Alas Pilipinas (Screengrab from Usports live)
Alas Pilipinas got back on track and held off China-based club Sichuan, 25-12, 25-22, 19-25, 25-15, for its first win in the 2025 VTV International Women’s Volleyball Cup at Vinh Phuc Gymnasium on Monday, June 30.
Motivated to bounce back from a 25-20, 25-21, 25-21 loss to Vietnam last weekend, the Nationals regained their winning form despite a lackluster third set.
The victory improved Alas’ record to 1-1 to tie for second place with their victims in Pool A.
They aim for back-to-back wins on Tuesday, July 1, at 3 p.m. against winless Australia—their final pool opponent.
Brooke Van Sickle, who starred with 17 points, and MJ Phillips formed a strong 1-2 offensive combo for Alas, while Dell Palomata led the defensive efforts.
The Jorge de Brito-coached squad controlled the first two sets, with Van Sickle and Jia De Guzman leading the charge.
Though momentum was on their side, the Nationals lost some tempo in the third set as Sichuan’s stellar defense and timely kills disrupted the Filipina hitters to forge an extension.
However, Sichuan’s comeback was short-lived as Van Sickle, Phillips, Leila Cruz, Palomata, and Vanie Gandler delivered crucial stops and attacks, with De Guzman orchestrating plays that ultimately overwhelmed their opponents.