Alas Pilipinas Women settled for fourth place in the 2025 VTV Women’s International Cup after falling to a determined Chinese Taipei squad in straight sets, 17-25, 24-26, 22-25, during the bronze medal match on Saturday evening at the Vinh Phuc Gymnasium.
Just 22 days after their five-set semifinal thriller in the 2025 AVC Challenge Cup, Chinese Taipei exacted revenge and dashed the Philippines’ bid for a historic podium finish — which would have been only the country’s second in the 21-year history of the VTV Cup.
It was a reversal of fortunes from June 13, when the Nationals thwarted Chinese Taipei’s reverse-sweep attempt in the AVC semifinals, 25-17, 25-21, 18-25, 15-25, 15-12 — a victory that secured the Philippines’ first-ever Finals appearance in an AVC-sanctioned tournament in 64 years.
Despite the loss, Alas’ fourth-place finish represents a significant step forward compared to National University’s winless last-place campaign in the 2024 edition of the tournament.
In the third set, Alas appeared poised to extend the match. A quick hit from Maddie Madayag, a backrow attack by Eya Laure, and an error from Lin Liang-Tai pushed the Philippines ahead, 20-19.
The momentum continued with a through-the-block hit from Brooke Van Sickle and a quick strike by MJ Phillips, keeping Alas in control.
However, Van Sickle’s service error tied the game, and Chinese Taipei regained the lead after winning a challenge on a crosscourt hit from Liang-Tai, 23-22. A well-timed hit by Kan Ko-Hui and a crucial attack error by Vanie Gandler ultimately sealed the sweep and the bronze medal for Chinese Taipei.
Earlier, in the second set, Alas rallied from a 19-22 deficit behind Van Sickle’s heroics, scoring four straight points to snatch a 23-22 lead. But the Nationals ran out of steam in the extended frame.
Chinese Taipei closed the set with a 4-1 run, punctuated by a down-the-line kill from Chang Yi-Chi and a block from Yeh Yu-Wen on Gandler, giving them a 2–0 set advantage.
Chinese Taipei also dominated the opening frame with a blazing 16-9 start, setting the tone for the rest of the match.
Van Sickle capped her stellar national team debut with 16 points on 15 attacks, while Petro Gazz teammate Phillips provided 11 points in the losing effort.
Laure added eight points on seven attacks, while Madayag chipped in five points.
The victory marked Chinese Taipei’s first win over the Philippines in competitive international play since back-to-back losses in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup in Manila and the 2025 AVC Nations Cup.
Chang powered Chinese Taipei with a game-high 19-point performance on 16 attacks and two blocks, while Liu Shuang-Ling added 15 points on 14 attacks.
