Alas Pilipinas Women fell short of a podium finish in the 2025 VTV Women’s International Cup, bowing to a determined Chinese Taipei squad in straight sets, 17-25, 24-26, 22-25, in the bronze medal match on Saturday evening at the Vinh Phuc Gymnasium in Vietnam.
The defeat handed the Philippines a respectable fourth-place finish in the annual invitational tournament—an encouraging leap from last year’s bottom-of-the-table performance by National University’s core—but also served as a measure of revenge for Chinese Taipei, who were still reeling from a heartbreaker in their previous clash with the Filipinas.
Just 22 days after Alas stunned Chinese Taipei in a grueling five-setter in the semifinals of the 2025 AVC Challenge Cup—marking the country’s first AVC Finals appearance in over six decades—the East Asian powerhouse returned the favor with poise and precision, extinguishing the Nationals’ hopes of clinching only their second podium finish in the 21-year history of the VTV Cup.
Chinese Taipei’s intent was clear from the get-go, surging to an early 16-9 lead in the opening set that Alas struggled to overcome. Strong net defense and crafty playmaking from the Taiwanese side prevented any major runs from the Filipinas, who had difficulty finding their rhythm early in the contest.
In the second frame, Alas fought back gallantly from a 19-22 deficit. Brooke Van Sickle ignited a four-point barrage, including back-to-back kills that put the Philippines ahead, 23-22. But the momentum was short-lived. A quick surge by Chinese Taipei—capped by a down-the-line missile from Chang Yi-Chi and a rejection by Yeh Yu-Wen on Vanie Gandler—turned the tides and pushed the Filipinas into a two-set hole.
Alas didn’t back down in the third, finding momentary leads late in the set behind a quick attack from Maddie Madayag, a backrow hit by Eya Laure, and an error from Lin Liang-Tai to take a slim 20-19 advantage. MJ Phillips and Van Sickle helped keep the edge with key hits, but errors began to creep in.
A crucial service misfire from Van Sickle tied the set at 22-all, before Chinese Taipei overturned a crosscourt hit from Liang-Tai via successful challenge to reclaim the lead. Kan Ko-Hui then powered through the block, and a costly error by Gandler sealed the Filipinas’ fate.
Despite the loss, the campaign showed signs of growth for the emerging Alas program. With a revamped core and the return of stalwarts like Van Sickle, Laure, Madayag, and Gandler, the squad displayed resilience and promise against international competition.
The victory also marked Chinese Taipei’s first win over the Philippines since the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup in Manila and broke their back-to-back skid against Alas in AVC-sanctioned tournaments.
