ALAS Pilipinas played with confidence and took the short route to fend off the Australian Volleyroos, 25-23, 25-15, 25-7, on Wednesday to earn the bronze medal in the 2024 Asian Volleyball Confederation at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Angel Canino led the Filipinas with 14 points, as she struck hardest with six attack points in the first set of their 75-minute encounter with the Volleyroos.
Canino’s huge effort in the opening set and Sisi Rondina’s 13 points, including seven big points in the first set alone, helped give the Philippines its first-ever podium finish in women’s volleyball at the continental level.
Alas Pilipinas coach Jorge Edson Sousa de Brito expressed his gladness for Team Philippines’ achievement.
“No words to express how happy I am. I told the guys from the beginning that they deserve a lot. They deserve this,” said De Brito.
Rondina and Thea Gagate started a decisive pullaway with their attack combinations at the front and sides.
Their big plays set off a 7-1 run, pulling the Filipinas away from 10-9 lead, and into a 17-10 edge.
Rondina’s smash to the backline came just in time for a 25-23 lead, after the Volleyroos rallied to within a point off spiker Cassandra Dodds’ block on Eya Laure.
With momentum on their side, Laure took charge with four points off her attack in the second set, with two angled spikes on the left side avoiding the Volleyroos’ blocks and putting the Philippines ahead, 9-5.
The combo of Rondina, Gagate and Canino helped give the hosts a 17-10 edge off their combo assaults later in the second set.
Canino and Gagate joined hands for nine points in the third set as they took off on a 5-1 blast, with Canino’s drop shot giving Alas Pilipinas 10-2 spread.
“They played tough every single game. They won this game because they trusted themselves. I am happy because of this,” said De Brito.
Caitlin Tipping showed the way for the Volleyroos with 13 points.
Support for each player in the team, coming from the Philippine Sports Commission amounted to P200,000, while an additional P200,000 was granted by Sen. Bong Go in his capacity as chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth and Sports.
Earlier, India stopped Iran, 25-17, 25-16, 25-11, in the battle for fifth place.
Indonesia took the seventh place after they turned back Hong Kong, 25-15, 25-25-19, 25-20.
