By ADRIAN STEWART CO

The Alas Pilipinas national women’s volleyball team secured their place in the semifinals of the 2025 AVC Women’s Nation Cup after defeating Kazakhstan, 25-21, 25-15, 25-19, at the Doang Anh Gymnasium in Hanoi, Vietnam yesterday.

Negrense Angel Canino delivered 13 points, which included 11 attacks, one block and one service ace, as Alas Pilipinas Women clinched the top seed in Pool B with a record of 4-1.

Mhicaela Belen shone for the Philippine team with 16 points, consisting of 14 attacks and four blocks.

Alyssa Solomon contributed 14 points, derived from 11 attacks, two service aces and one block.

With their advancement to the semifinals, the hopes of Alas Pilipinas Women to replicate or surpass their bronze medal finish in the same tournament last year remain alive.

Alas Pilipinas Women team captain Julia Morado-De Guzman emphasized the importance of every match in the tournament, whether they win or lose, as preparation for their upcoming competitions.

“We knew what we needed to improve, and we got to know how to improve on our weaknesses,” Morado-De Guzman said after the game.

“Every victory and every loss is a valuable lesson for the team. It showed in this match that we are motivated and inspired. We were all excited to play,” she said.

“We’re here to fight for a spot in the semifinals and the scores showed our optimism,” she added.

Only Tatyana Nikitina registered double digits for Kazakhstan with 12 points, which came from 11 attacks and one block.

They fell to a 4-1 record./ASC, WDJ