Valdez vows strong finish after Alas misses semifinals

Alyssa Valdez (second from left) and the Alas Pilipinas girls vowto give their all in the classification phase. —MARLO CUETO

CANDON CITY, ILOCOS SUR—Alas Pilipinas may have fallen short of a third straight Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Cup semifinal appearance, but team captain Alyssa Valdez remains confident the national squad can end its campaign on a positive note.

The Philippines absorbed a 25-16, 25-14, 25-10 loss to unbeaten Chinese Taipei on Thursday at the Candon City Arena, dropping to 2-3 in Pool A and missing the semifinals for the first time since 2023.

Despite the setback, Valdez said the retooled squad remains committed to making the most of its remaining matches in the classification round.

“Coach Shaq is right. We really needed more preparation time, especially since we’re facing veteran teams in this tournament,” Valdez said in Filipino. “We have experienced players too, but we still need quality time together as a team. The younger players have so much potential and hopefully this becomes a great learning experience for them.”

Interim coach Shaq Delos Santos acknowledged the challenges faced by a revamped roster that had limited time to train together before the tournament.

“This is part of the process,” Delos Santos said. “Our main goal is simple—to play our best and win the game. We want to finish this tournament on a high note.”

The Philippines entered the tournament hoping to build on its recent success in the regional competition. The national team won bronze in 2024 after completing a perfect pool-stage campaign and followed it up with a silver-medal finish last year.

This year’s squad, however, featured a different core led by veterans Valdez, Ara Galang and Ces Molina, alongside younger standouts Alyssa Solomon, Thea Gagate and Niña Ytang.

Sputtering offense

Alas struggled to generate offense against the Taiwanese, with no player reaching double figures. Solomon paced the Filipinas with six points off the bench, while Ytang and Molina added three each.

Valdez, who returned to national team duty after several years away from international competition, was held to two points but said she remains grateful for the opportunity to represent the country again.

“The pressure in tournaments like this is different, but honestly, it feels good to experience it again,” she said. “We still have a lot to work on. Hopefully, we can improve, communicate better as a team and keep building from there.”

Regardless of the final result, Valdez believes the tournament has provided valuable experience for the next generation of national team players.

“One thing we’re really proud of is being able to represent the country,” she said. “More than anything, we hope the younger players continue to play for the Philippines and carry the program forward.”