Alas Pilipinas Women took care of business with a commanding 25-13, 25-15, 25-20 sweep of Australia to solidify their grip on the second seed in Pool A of the 2025 VTV Women’s International Cup, Tuesday afternoon at the Vinh Phuc Gymnasium in Vietnam.
Following a tough opening-day loss to regional powerhouse and host Vietnam, the Nationals bounced back with back-to-back wins to close the group stage with a 2-1 record — earning them a spot in the quarterfinals with momentum on their side.
If Vietnam completes a sweep of Pool A by defeating Chinese club Sichuan Wuliangchun later today, Alas will officially secure the second seed and face Thailand’s U-21 squad, Est Cola, in the knockout quarterfinals on July 3 at 8:30 PM.
However, if Sichuan pulls off an upset over Vietnam, a three-way tie at 2-1 will be forged among Sichuan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. In that case, the final seeding will be determined by set ratio and point count.
The Nationals started slow in the opening set but quickly turned the tide with a decisive 14-4 run. MJ Phillips sparked the momentum shift with a block, followed by two quick points from Dell Palomata to turn a 6-7 deficit into a 21-12 lead.
A quick attack from Phillips, back-to-back aces by Vanie Gandler, and a block by Brooke Van Sickle capped off the set to give the Philippines the early edge.
In the second frame, with the score tied at 6-all, Alas once again surged ahead at the perfect moment. Leila Cruz served up two consecutive aces, followed by a Phillips kill and an Australian error that powered a 9-2 run and built a 15-8 cushion.
That was all the separation the Nationals needed, as another pair of Aussie miscues and a crosscourt strike from Alleiah Malaluan secured a two-set advantage.
Australia mounted a challenge in the third set, cutting a 17-11 Alas lead down to 17-14. But the Filipinas responded promptly, leaning on Gandler’s crosscourt hits, a block from Fil-American setter Tia Andaya, and multiple Australia errors to extend their lead to 22-15.
A net touch violation by the Aussies, a Malaluan kill, and a block from La Salle middle blocker Amie Provido sealed the straight-sets win.
Van Sickle powered the Philippines with 15 points on 12 attacks, two aces, and one block, while Gandler broke out with 11 points on nine attacks.
Palomata followed closely with 10 points on five attacks, three aces, and two blocks, while Phillips provided nine points on five attacks, three aces, and one block.
With the loss, Australia dropped to 0-3 in Pool A and will face Pool B leader Korabelka in the quarterfinals on July 3.
Australian hitter Ella Schabort was the lone player in double figures with 10 points on six attacks and three blocks, while Kayla Cantrill chipped in eight points on six attacks.
