Alas Pilipinas Women’s valiant run came to a halt after suffering a 16-25, 27-25, 17-25, 22-25 defeat to defending champion Korabelka in the semifinals of the 2025 VTV Women’s International Cup, Thursday evening at the Vinh Phuc Gymnasium in Vietnam.
Determined to reach their first-ever VTV Cup final, the Nationals ran into a formidable wall in the form of the two-time Russian Vysshaya Liga champions.
With the loss, Alas Pilipinas was relegated to the bronze medal match.
The Nationals will now face Chinese Taipei in the battle for third place.
They aim to secure only the Philippines’ second podium finish in tournament history, following Choco Mucho’s third-place run in 2023.
The match is set for tomorrow, July 5, at 6:00 PM.
Korabelka came out strong in the fourth set, building a 15-8 lead. But the Nationals refused to fold, mounting a 7-2 rally behind an Alleiah Malaluan off-the-block hit and a Vanie Gandler crosscourt kill to close the gap to 17-15.
However, the Russian side responded with poise, unleashing a 5-2 burst capped by a backrow kill from Elizaveta Nesterova to restore a four-point cushion, 22-18.
An attack error by Irina Artiukhina and a service ace from Lams Lamina trimmed the deficit to 23-21, but a clutch off-the-block strike followed from Anastasia Cherniaeva. Another backrow hit from Nesterova sealed Korabelka’s return to the Finals for the second straight year.
Earlier in the match, Amie Provido’s running attack and another crosscourt hit from Gandler kept the Philippines within reach in the third set, 17-21. But Korabelka closed the frame with a decisive 4-0 run to take a 2-1 set advantage.
The second set proved to be the Nationals’ highlight, as they clawed back from two separate four-point deficits to force an extended frame. A well-timed tip from Malaluan tied things up, before the former De La Salle University standout delivered two of the final three points — including a through-the-block finish — to clinch the set and level the match at one set apiece.
Brooke Van Sickle paced the Nationals with 14 points on 10 attacks and four blocks, while Malaluan broke out with 11 points on 10 attacks and one block.
Gandler ended the night with nine points on eight attacks, while Eya Laure chipped in seven points.
Now, Korabelka eyes back-to-back VTV Cup titles — a feat last accomplished by Japan’s U-23 squad in 2011 and 2012.
Nesterova unleashed 31 points built on 30 attacks, while Viktoriia Bobrova provided 16 points on 11 attacks, four aces, and one block.
The Russian powerhouse will face Vietnam in the championship match, also scheduled tomorrow at 8:30 PM.
