Alas Pilipinas Women suffered their first setback in the 2025 AVC Nations Cup, falling in a dramatic five-set battle to undefeated Iran, 25-16, 21-25, 26-24, 23-25, 13-15, Monday at Doang Anh Gymnasium in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The loss dropped the Philippines to 2-1 in Pool B, holding third place alone. With only the top two teams advancing to the crossover semifinals after the single round-robin phase, the pressure is mounting for the squad.
In the decisive fifth set, the Philippines trailed 5-8 before staging a rally led by Shaina Nitura and Angel Canino. The duo helped spark a 6-1 run to give Alas Pilipinas an 11-9 advantage. However, consecutive errors allowed Iran to level at 11.
Dell Palomata responded with a strong quick attack, and Vanie Gandler came off the bench to serve an ace, bringing the Philippines within two points of victory.
Iran, however, battled back. Fatemeh Khalili ignited the comeback with a powerful crosscourt hit, followed by Zahra Salehi’s crucial block on Nitura to tie the set at 13.
A Canino error handed Iran match point. After a contentious centerline fault call against Nitura was overturned on challenge, the Philippines had one final opportunity. Salehi sealed the match with a perfectly timed block on Canino’s attack, ending the two-hour and 37-minute thriller.
Canino topped the Philippine scorers with 20 points, including 17 spikes, two blocks, and an ace. Eya Laure added 16 points and 14 digs but did not see action in the final set. Palomata contributed 10 points, while Fifi Sharma chipped in eight.
The match was marred by errors, with Iran committing 36 and the Philippines 32.
Iran now shares the lead with defending champion Kazakhstan at 3-0. Khalili led all scorers with 21 points, including 19 attacks and two blocks. Masoumeh Masi added 16 points, and Salehi contributed 12 points with six blocks, five attacks, and an ace.
Alas Pilipinas will have a rest day before facing New Zealand on Wednesday at 4 p.m., aiming to bounce back in their next Pool B encounter.
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