By MARK REY MONTEJO
CANDON CITY – Alas Pilipinas put up a gallant stand but eventually folded to Chinese Taipei, 25-16, 25-14, 25-10, a defeat that ruined its medal bid in the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup at the Candon City Arena Thursday, June 11, here.
A one-day break proved not enough for the Nationals, who had a brief preparation ahead of the continental meet as the well-prepared Taiwanese squad showcased its chemistry – not to mention putting up a defensive masterclass to win pulling away.
For absorbing their third defeat in five games, the Nationals were relegated to the classification round.
In the last edition, they finished second behind host Vietnam.
Taipei, on the other hand, grabbed the top spot in Group A with a 4-0 card, enough to seal its spot in the semis and also a chance to better its bronze-medal finish last year.
Wan-Yun Hsu steered the Taiwanese with 14 points, while Yi-Chi Chang scored. Ciao-En Chen and Yu-Chun Tsai conspired for 21 points.
Alas Pilipinas struggled big time with its top scorer Alyssa Solomon scoring only six points. Ces Molina and Nina Ytang chipped in 3 points each, while last two games leading scorer Thea Gagate was held to just to 2 points.
Skipper Alyssa Valdez likewise groped in the face of Chinese Taipei’s rock-solid defense.
