Alas Pilipinas winalis ang Kazakhstan, sa Independence Day

PINAHIYA ng Alas Pilipinas ang last year’s runner-up Kazakhstan, 25-21, 25-15, 25-19, para umabante sa Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup semifinals sa ikalawang dikit na taon Huwebes sa Dong Anh Arena sa Hanoi, Vietnam.

Umasa ang Filipino Spikers sa trio nina Angel Canino, Bella Belen, at Alyssa Solomon para itumba ang matatangkad na Kazakhs, Tinapos nila ang Pool B na may 4-1 rekord, at maangkin ang first seed na may 13 points.

Straight sets is hard to happen in this level, but some factors you have to consider. Kazakhstan they lost the captain [due to injury], but the main factor is we played good all the time. So I expect to my team to play better and I always tell them that to perform good and the result will come,” Wika ni Alas head coach Jorge Souza de Brito.

Pinamunuan ni Belen ang opensa ng Alas sa iniskor na 16 points off 14 kills at two blocks. Solomon nagdeliver ng 14 points,habang si Canino tumipa ng 11 spikes,one block, at ace para magtapos sa 12 points.

“Mindset for semifinals is the same, play good and take every advantage that we can. I will try to find some weak points [in the opponent]. We’re in the top 4, it will be a hard match,”Dagdag ni de Brito.

Makakalaban ng Alas ang second seed ng Pool A sa knockout semifinal Biyernes, kung saan nangunguna ang defending champion Vietnam sa ibang grupo na may 3-0 rekord,habang ang Chinese ang tumatakbong second na may 2-1 card.

Tatyana Nikitina ang tanging umiskor ng double-digit para sa Kazakhs na 12 points, habang si Margarita Belchenko nagdagdag ng 9.