Alas PH bounces back, clips Kyrgyzstan to set up crucial Korean showdown

Alas Pilipinas holds its own against Kyrgyzstan and hopes to do so against the Koreans. —MARLO CUETO

CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur—Alas Pilipinas shifts its focus onto a pivotal test against South Korea on Tuesday in the AVC Women’s Cup after regaining its footing with a dominant victory over Kyrgyzstan.

Less than 24 hours after squandering a two-set lead in a five-set loss to Australia, Alas bounced back with a convincing 25-9, 25-11, 25-17 victory on Monday at Candon City Arena to improve to 2-1 in Pool A.

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The lopsided win allowed interim coach Shaq Delos Santos to rotate his lineup and give key players a chance to regain confidence heading into a crucial showdown with South Korea, which opened the tournament with victories over Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

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“You can consider it a do-or-die game, but we still have a chance in our last match,” Delos Santos said in Filipino. “Right now, our focus is on playing better tomorrow. Why not? The ball is round. We just want to give our best and play a good match rather than think about all the possible scenarios.”

Alas closes its Pool A campaign against Chinese Taipei on Thursday, with only the top two teams advancing to the semifinals.

“South Korea moves well as a team. Chinese Taipei has a different style altogether,” Delos Santos said. “As the tournament goes on, we’re seeing how tough these teams are to play against.”

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The Philippine squad immediately turned its attention to film study after Monday’s victory, reviewing South Korea’s first two matches.

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Middle blocker Thea Gagate said Alas must stick to its identity against a Korean side ranked No. 38 in the world and sixth in Asia after recently being relegated from the Volleyball Nations League.

“For me and for the team, we just have to stick to what we’ve been working on in training,” said Gagate, who led all scorers with 11 points on eight attacks, two blocks and an ace. “We know South Korea is a fast team, so we need to adjust quickly and be ready to match that pace.”

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Gagate, a holdover from the national team’s bronze-medal campaign in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup, said she hopes to contribute more in the tournament’s biggest matches.

“It’s about giving my best and applying everything I’ve learned from my previous national team tournaments,” she said.

Top scorers

Jovelyn Gonzaga paced Alas with 10 points, while Alyssa Valdez added nine and Ces Molina chipped in eight. Cla Loresco and Ara Galang scored four and three points, respectively, while Tin Ubaldo and Tots Carlos also saw action.

Alyssa Solomon, who erupted for 23 points against Australia, was limited to the third set and finished with three points. Delos Santos said the 6-foot-1 opposite hitter will have a bigger role against South Korea.

“We’ll need to utilize her more tomorrow,” he said. “But with Jovelyn, you already know what you’re getting. She’s always a fighter and always ready to compete.”

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Kyrgyzstan fell to 0-3 despite four points from Aiturgan Aitbekova. Alas dominated the attack department, 48-12, while Kyrgyzstan held a 6-4 edge in blocks. INQ