DEFYING the odds, Alas Pilipinas marched into the semifinals of the AVC Challenge Cup for Women armed with an unbeaten slate last night after another rousing win at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The Philippines thwarted the young bloods of Chinese Taipei 25-13, 25-21, 25-18 to top Pool A with a 4-0 slate, boosting its bid in the knockout semis tomorrow, Tuesday.
Hard-hitting open spiker Eya Laure led the scoring load for Alas with 15 points while Vanie Gandler and middle blocker Thea Gaga had 12 and nine markers, respectively.
“Sinabi ko nga kanina na nandito na kami so hindi na kami titigil na gumawa ng history para sa Philippine volleyball,” Laure said.
The Jorge Souza de Brito-mentored Philippine squad has moved up to 57th in the FIVB World rankings.
Hsu Fang Min and Hsu Heng Yun paced Chinese Taipei with nine and eight points, respectively, as they ended their campaign winless in four matches.
It will be the country’s first semis appearance in the AVC tournament in a long while.
Waiting for the national squad in the semis is Kazakhstan, which finished with a 3-1 card in Pool B.
