PICKING up from its sorry defeat to Kazakhstan last Tuesday night, Alas Pilipinas humbled Australia yesterday 25-23, 25-15, 25-7 and finished third in the Asian Volleyball Confederation tournament at historic Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Sixty-three years after joining the AVC, Filipino players stepped onto the podium to receive their bronze medals, thanks to the efforts of wing spiker Angel Canino who had 14 points and veteran open hitter Sisi Rondina who fired 13 markers.
Outside hitter Eya Laure and middle blocker Thea Gagate had a combined 20 markers for Alas while Fifi Sharma delivered seven markers in the 75-minute contest.
The win made up for the team’s 23-25, 21-25, 14-25 defeat to Kazakhstan in their semis match last Tuesday.
“Really, I’m happy and I’m grateful. I have no words to express how happy I am and also, not for myself only, I told these guys in the beginning, they deserve a lot. They fought every single day, since they are really young to make history here and now history has been made because of them, because they trusted themselves today, they came,” said coach Jorge Souza de Brito.
“I’m happy because of that. I’m happy because it was here that we got a medal, here, inside our place, our home, our venue, in front of everyone. So, I’m really happy that we get to celebrate with everyone,” he added.
Caitlin Tipping was the lone bright spot for the Volleyroos, who finished fourth, with 13 points.
The Philippines will compete in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup in July as host of the competition.
The eventual winner between defending champion Vietnam and Kazakhstan last night will have an outright spot in the international tourney, along with Kenya, Argentina and Puerto Rico.
Earlier in the classification phase, India salvaged fifth after beating Iran 25-17, 25-16, 25-11 while Indonesia finished seventh at the expense of Hong Kong 25-15, 25-19, 25-10.
