Team captain Jia de Guzman couldn't be any prouder of the effort shown by Alas Pilipinas despite their defeat against Kazakhstan in the semifinals of the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup.
The dream run ended for Alas Pilipinas after bowing to Kazakhstan in straight sets, 23-25, 21-25, 14-25, in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila on Tuesday, May 28.
The 55th-ranked Alas couldn’t power its way against the mighty Kazakhs, who entered the match ranked 30th in the world.
This was evident in the first set, where Kazakhstan jumped to a 21-10 lead. But the Filipinas showed their heart, cutting the deficit to just a single point at 23-24 led by surprise reserve Arah Panique.
Unfortunately, veteran spiker Sana Anarkulova put the set away for Kazakhstan.
While Alas Pilipinas could not snatch a set in their maiden AVC semifinal appearance, team captain Jia de Guzman had nothing but praises for the effort her team showed throughout the match.
“Sobrang proud ko talaga sa team. Wala akong words kasi ramdam ko na lumalaban kahit dehado kami, kahit naghahabol kami, kahit mabilis kami mapuntosan ng Kazakhstan,” Morado told reporters after the match.
“Feel ko pa rin na gustong gusto lumaban ng bawa't isa sa amin whether inside the court or sa bench namin,” she added.
Despite the defeat, Alas' historic run continues as the national team pivot to a different goal and now seek their first podium finish in an an international women's volleyball tournament since 2019, or when the Philippines achieved double bronze medals in both legs of the Southeast Asian (SEA) V.League.
[ALSO READ: AVC: Jia De Guzman swells with pride as semis-bound Alas Pilipinas complete emphatic Pool A sweep]
For now, it’s rest and recovery—and back to the drawing board for de Guzman and the rest of Alas Pilipinas as they gear up to face Australia tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.
“Number one, ngayon, kailangan makabalik kami ng hotel, makapag-pahinga kami ng maayos kasi siyempre ramdam na rin ‘yung fatigue from all of the games,” said de Guzman.
“We’ve won against Australia pero bukas makakalaban namin sila na napag-aralan na din kami, so back to the drawing board kami and hopefully, better ‘yung passing namin and defense tomorrow,” she emphasized.