It was the faintest of touches—barely visible, yet fortunately timed—that propelled Alas Pilipinas on Friday night past Chinese Taipei and into the gold medal match of the 2025 Asian Volleyball Confederation Women’s Nations Cup in Hanoi.
With the fifth set hanging in the balance and the score at 14-12, outside hitter Bella Belen unleashed a crosscourt spike—her fourth try to clinch the match—that sailed just beyond the line. Chinese Taipei celebrated what they thought was a lifeline—until head coach Jorge Souza de Brito challenged the call.
The crowd held its breath. Moments later, pandemonium erupted as the video review showed the ball grazing the tip of a Chinese Taipei blocker’s ring finger.
Point, Philippines. Match, Alas Pilipinas. History, made.
It was fitting that Belen delivered the final blow. The UAAP most valuable player and the newly-minted first round draft pick in the Philippine Volleyball League led the team with 15 points, four of them from blocks.
But it was Eya Laure—fiery, unshaken, and burning with resolve—who anchored Alas Pilipinas in the heart-pounding fifth set. With the crowd on edge and Chinese Taipei mounting a fierce comeback, Laure delivered blow after blow, scoring five of the team’s last nine points in those final, breathless rallies. Each time she rose, it was with fury and purpose; each time she landed, her fist struck her chest like a war drum, as if to declare to the roaring arena: We are Filipinos. We play with heart. We fight with soul.
The Philippines had opened strong, dominating the first two sets, 25-17 and 25-21, before unraveling in the next two, 18-25 and 15-25.
The fifth set was a dogfight. Laure’s leadership and tenacity, and Belen’s killer instinct preserved the victory—and prevented a near-meltdown from becoming a monumental collapse.
Now, Alas Pilipinas sets their sights on host Vietnam, the tournament’s last unbeaten team. A win on Saturday night would not just secure gold—it would cap a stunning rise for a team that, just last year, won the bronze for its first ever podium finish in an AVC tournament.
This time, the Alas Pilipinas ladies want it all.
