Kazakhstan snapped Alas Pilipinas’ winning ways with a 25-23, 25-21, 25-14 victory in the 2024 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup for Women at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday night.
Six-foot-two outside hitter Sanna Anarkulova led the charge with 19 points in the 91-minute match, significantly impacting the Filipinas’ performance.
Seldom-used Arah Panique stepped up for a well-defended Sisi Rondina and scored 14 points, contributing to the Philippines’ best finish yet in the six-year-old tournament. The loss notwithstanding, Alas Pilipinas is assured of its best-ever finish.
The Philippines, which swept its four-game group elimination phase, will face Australia today at 4 p.m. in the bronze medal match while Kazakhstan advanced to a winner-take-all title clash with Vietnam.
Vietnam secured its spot in the gold medal match with a convincing 25-21, 25-19, 25-16 win over the Australia Volleyroos in the other semifinal contest.
The unbeaten Vietnamese side, led by Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen, who scored 24 points on 21 attacks and three aces, now faces Kazakhstan for the championship.
Anarkulova was instrumental in the first set, scoring four of her six points as Kazakhstan took an early 9-4 lead. Margarita Belchenko, standing at 5’9″, added to the pressure with four key points and crucial blocks on Sisi Rondina during a 7-0 run, extending the Kazakh lead to 16-5.
Despite a late surge that brought the Filipinas close at 23-24, Anarkulova sealed the first set with a decisive down-the-line spike past Eya Laure.
In the second set, Jennifer Nierva’s error allowed Kazakhstan to clinch the set 25-21. Kristina Anikonova’s powerful kill secured a three-set sweep for Kazakhstan.
“We were prepared to play against them. They are tough on blocks and pressured us in the first two sets. They were aggressive in the beginning, but our team never gave up,” said Alas Pilipinas coach Jorge Edson Sousa de Brito.
“Vietnam has already played Kazakhstan, but we haven’t played the Philippines yet. Either team will be a really difficult opponent for Vietnam in the final,” said 24-year-old Nguyen, opposite spiker for Vietnam.
In other matches, India and Iran secured spots in the battle for fifth place. The Indians recovered from a tough second-set loss to overcome Indonesia 25-16, 30-32, 25-20, 27-25. Meanwhile, the Iranians bounced back from a setback in the third set to fend off Hong Kong 26-24, 26-24, 19-25, 25-18.