Strong Group settled for the silver medal after falling to Japan club Aleeza Aichi in straight sets, 17-25, 19-25, 15-25, in the final of the 2026 Formosa Women’s Volleyball Invitational Tournament on Sunday night at Xinzhuang Gymnasium in Chinese Taipei.
SGA put up a fight in the opening two sets before running out of steam in the third, where the Japanese side flexed its dominance to complete a convincing sweep and capture the championship.
With the title within reach, Aleeza Aichi never gave Strong Group Athletics any breathing room in the third set. The Japanese club steadily pulled away before building a commanding 19-12 lead to all but put the match out of reach.
Ces Molina and Trisha Tubu sparked one last rally, leading a 4-1 run to keep SGA’s hopes alive, but Aleeza Aichi quickly slammed the door with a decisive 5-0 finishing burst to seal the championship.
It was a tough ending for Strong Group, which bounced back from a four-set opening loss to Thailand’s Supreme Tip Chonburi-E.Tech by defeating Chinese Taipei’s Earthpower EPV on Saturday to earn a spot in the finals.
That victory created a three-way tie at 1-1 in the standings, with the Filipino squad advancing to the gold medal match by virtue of a superior set ratio.
Riding the momentum of its breakthrough win, Strong Group hoped to carry its confidence into the championship match. However, Aleeza Aichi immediately showed why it was considered the tournament favorite.
The opening set remained competitive early before Aleeza Aichi created the separation it needed. Holding a slim 13-11 advantage, the Japanese side unleashed a decisive 6-2 run, capped by Ayana Funane’s cross-court attack, to build a 19-13 cushion and seize control.
SGA managed to trim the deficit to 22-17, but Mio Kitagawa, Shiori Mitome, and Aimi Nakada combined for three straight points to close out the opening frame and give Aleeza Aichi the early advantage.
Strong Group delivered a much stronger showing in the second set, trailing by just a point, 18-19, after a hit from Riza Nogales late in the frame.
But Aleeza Aichi found another gear down the stretch, scoring six of the final seven points behind Mitome, Kitagawa, and Shiori Yamauchi to take the set, 25-19, and move within one set of the championship.
