Alas Pilipinas will face off against Australia once more in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup—this time for the bronze medal.
History beckons for Alas Pilipinas in their final match in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup.
After falling short against Kazakhstan in the semifinals, the Filipinas will have one more shot at their first podium finish in an international women's volleyball tournament since 2019.
Standing in their way is Australia, the Philippines' first opponent in the tournament. The Filipinas won in four sets to open their campaign.
[ALSO READ: Alas Pilipinas cut Australia down to size to open 2024 AVC Challenge Cup campaign in style]
With that in mind, here are some numbers and stats that are worth remembering for their clash later at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum at 4:00 p.m.
17 — Angel Canino and Eya Laure finished with 17 points apiece in Alas’ opening victory against Australia.
12 — Despite losing the match, Australia still dominated the blocking department, outscoring Alas 12-7. Middle blocker Kara Inskip had six of the 12 blocks.
9 — Australia’s star opposite hitter Caitlin Tipping finished with just nine points in their match against Alas Pilipinas. Since then, Tipping has gone on to be the top scorer of the tournament. She had 91 total points by the end of the preliminaries.
9 — Service aces were a major factor in Alas’ victory against Australia, outscoring the Volleyroos 9-2 in that department. Laure and Thea Gagate accounted for three and two aces, respectively.
[ALSO READ: Jia De Guzman lauds ‘total team effort’ in Alas Pilipinas’ rousing win over Australia]
5 — It’s been five years since the Philippines last finished at the podium, specifically during both legs of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) V.League where the Filipinas bagged the double bronze.
Can Alas make history once again? We’ll find out later at 4:00 p.m. at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila. This will be aired live on One Sports, One Sports+, and the Pilipinas Live app.