Alas Pilipinas narrowly missed a podium finish at the 2025 VTV Cup after just falling to Chinese Taipei in straight sets (17-25, 24-26, 22-25) in the bronze medal match. The loss snapped the Filipinas’ recent win streak against the Taiwanese squad, including a key victory at the AVC Challenge Cup.
The match’s momentum hinged on the intense second set, where both teams went point-for-point until Chinese Taipei pulled away in the closing rallies. That win gave them the edge moving forward.
Alas Pilipinas showed flashes of brilliance throughout the tournament. However, their bronze medal performance drew criticism, particularly in coaching decisions and player rotations. Observers noted that Coach Jorge Edson de Brito’s tactical move to reposition his top scorer against the opposing team’s best blockers made sense only if the player was finishing attacks at an elite level—something that wasn’t happening consistently. Instead of relying on strong scoring, the team typically wore down opponents with solid defense, a strategy that only seemed to work with certain players like Fifi Sharma and Alina Solomon, who showed strong digging and court awareness.
Critics also pointed to mismatched outside hitter pairings. The duo of Eya Laure and Vanie Gandler, while talented offensively, struggled on the defensive end, especially in receiving and floor coverage. Laure, in particular, was not able to match her earlier performance in the AVC Challenge Cup. Meanwhile, Gandler had several attacking attempts in the third set that were too soft or sent directly at defenders, with no adjustment in offensive setup despite the repeated errors.
Setter Jia de Guzman, a key veteran leader, also came under scrutiny for inconsistent decision-making. Analysts highlighted poor set distribution and risky plays at critical moments in the first and third sets, as well as in the closing stretch of Set 2. Backup setter Kim Dayandante showed promise when subbed in but was quickly pulled, leading to more fatigue and disorganization late in the match.
Despite the loss, the campaign is still viewed as a step forward for the program. Alas Pilipinas continues to build momentum following its historic silver medal finish at the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup—its best international stint in over six decades.
With a strong core of experienced players, including De Guzman, Dawn Macandili-Catindig, Dell Palomata, Laure, and Gandler, and emerging talents like Brooke Van Sickle and Alleiah Malaluan, the team has depth and potential. However, the coaching staff will need to address key issues in rotation, offense, and defensive consistency if they hope to contend more seriously in future international competitions.
As Philippine volleyball continues to evolve on the Asian stage, Alas Pilipinas remains a team to watch—one with promise but still in search of sustained execution under pressure.
