Alas Pilipinas stuns Kazakhstan, secures AVC semifinals spot anew

Alas Pilipinas’ Bella Belen throughout an AVC Nations Cup recreation in opposition to Kazakhstan. –AVC PHOTO

SCHEDULE: Alas Pilipinas girls at AVC Nations Cup semifinals

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas upset final 12 months’s runner-up Kazakhstan, 25-21, 25-15, 25-19, to advance to the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Ladies’s Volleyball Nations Cup semifinals for the second straight 12 months on Thursday at Dong Anh Enviornment in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The Filipino Spikers turned to the trio of Angel Canino, Bella Belen, and Alyssa Solomon to pounce on the taller Kazakhs, who missed injured Sana Anarkulova. They completed Pool B with a 4-1 report, taking the primary seed with 13 factors, only a marker forward of their rivals.

Straight units is difficult to occur on this degree, however some elements it’s important to think about. Kazakhstan they misplaced the captain [due to injury], however the primary issue is we performed good on a regular basis. So I anticipate to my group to play higher and I at all times inform them that to carry out good and the end result will come,” Alas head coach Jorge Souza de Brito mentioned.

Belen led all scorers with 16 factors off 14 kills and two blocks. Solomon delivered 14 factors, whereas Canino drilled 11 spikes, one block, and an ace to complete with 12 factors and precise candy revenge on the Philippines’  tormentor in final 12 months’s semifinals.

Alas Pilipinas throughout an AVC Nations Cup recreation in opposition to Kazakhstan. –AVC PHOTO

“Mindset for semifinals is identical, play good and take each benefit that we will. I’ll attempt to discover some weak factors [in the opponent]. We’re within the prime 4, will probably be a tough match,” de Brito added.

Tied at 17 within the third set, Dell Palomata’s block ended Alas’ 5 straight factors for a 22-17 unfold earlier than Kazakhstan halted their scoring run. Belen scored two consecutive assaults, adopted by Solomon’s game-winning hit.

Setter and captain Jia De Guzman’s sensible playmaking introduced out one of the best within the troika of Belen, Solomon, and Canino, as Dell Palomata and Fifi Sharma contributed 5 factors every.

READ: Alas Pilipinas heads into AVC Nations Cup with greater expectations

Alas battles the second seed of Pool A in a knockout semifinal on Friday, with defending champion Vietnam main the opposite group with a 3-0 report, whereas Chinese language Taipei is operating second with a 2-1 card as of posting time.

The Filipino Spikers began sturdy within the first set and introduced the momentum within the second with a 19-13 unfold earlier than the Kazakhs scored two consecutive factors. They unleashed a 10-0 run capped by Solomon’s again row kill and set-clinching ace for a 2-0 benefit.

Tatyana Nikitina was the lone double-digit scorer for the Kazakhs with 12 factors, whereas Margarita Belchenko added 9.