By MARK REY MONTEJO
CANDON CITY — The Alas Women gave it their all for one last time in front of their adoring and roaring fans, but sadly, their best were not enough.
Unable to match the hustle, energy and firepower of the well-prepared Iranian squad, the Nationals absorbed a tough 21-25, 12-25, 21-25 loss and settled for 8th place in the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup at the Candon City Arena Sunday morning, June 14.
Egged on by the wildly-cheering fans, the Nationals started well as in the past, but when the going got tough, they crumbled – no thanks to the inspired plays of Elaheh Poorsaleh Shahdehsari and meet’s No. 1 scorer Fatemeh Khalili Chermahini.
The second set was tight only in the early part of the game before the Iranians started to imposed their will and ripped the game wide apart.
It was almost the same story in the third frame with Jovelyn Gonzaga leading the assault but the Iranians were simply too hard to handle.
With the win, Iran finished seventh in the event presented by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the City of Candon Mayor Eric D. Singson.
The 8th place was the worst finish by any PH team in the continental joust.
But it was understandable considering the leadership row that rocked the association weeks before the first serve was delivered.
It can be remembered that the Philippines has achieved back-to-back podium finishes, including a silver in last year’s edition won by host Vietnam.
Elahe steadied Iran’s ship during turbulent times and finished with 18 points on 17 attacks and one block, while Khalili chipped in nine points. Zahra Salehi and Yasna Ahankoub Roo contributed eight points apiece.
It was again Alyssa Solomon who topscored for Alas with 12 points while Gonzaga wound up with six. Nina Ytang was held to five while skipper Alyssa Valdez, for her part, posted four points on top of two digs, and two receptions.
“Andito kami to step up [as a veteran], bata palang ako gusto ko nang gawin ‘to, na i-represent ‘tong bansa, lalo sa mga bata na marami silang matutunan,” said Gonzaga.
In all, Alas recorded just two wins – against Central Asia’s Uzbekistan and Kyrgyz – against four defeats – against Australia, South Korea, Chinese Taipei and Iran.
