Alas Pilipinas Falters in Final Stretch, Falls to Australia in Five-Set Thriller

Alas Pilipinas suffered its first loss in the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup, dropping a hard-fought five-set battle to Australia, 22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 15-25, 11-15, on Sunday at the Candon City Arena.

After a slow start, the Filipino squad rallied to take control in the middle sets, moving within striking distance of a statement victory. However, the Australians regained momentum late, using a strong finishing surge to secure the win and hand the hosts a disappointing defeat.

The Philippine team could not sustain its energy in the fifth set, as key errors and timely defensive plays by Australia sealed the result. Interim coach Shaq Delos Santos viewed the match as a learning opportunity for the squad.

“Lesson learned for us, and this will help in our upcoming games. The team is ready, we just need to recover well and prepare properly for our next matches,” delos Santos said.

World No. 48 Philippines almost completed a comeback after an early deficit, only to be overwhelmed by No. 79-ranked Australia in the fourth set. Trailing 4-5, the Filipinos watched Australia go on a 20-6 run to seize a 24-11 lead, forcing a fifth set.

The hosts, however, refused to surrender. Veterans Jovelyn Gonzaga, Ces Molina, and Ara Galang led a late surge, briefly shifting momentum back in their favor. In the decisive set, Alyssa Valdez sparked hope with consecutive hits to erase a 4-7 deficit, leveling the score at 7-all.

Australia eventually regained control with a crucial run that put them ahead 13-9, thanks to strong plays from Schabort, Walker, and Maric. A late error by Royse Tubino further swung momentum, allowing the Australians to close out the match.

The defeat dropped Alas Pilipinas to 1-1 in Group A.

Alyssa Solomon made her tournament debut, immediately leading the team with 23 points from 22 attacks and one block. Nina Ytang added 13 points, while Valdez contributed 11 points alongside 12 excellent digs and five top-notch receptions. Thea Gagate scored seven, and Tubino chipped in six off the bench, while Molina and Gonzaga were limited to three points each.

For Australia, Caitlin O’Dea led with 17 points, Lara Maric added 16, and Schabort and Anni Tang scored 12 each, supported by Chloe Walker’s 10 points.

Alas Pilipinas will aim to bounce back against Kyrgyzstan on Monday at the same venue, seeking to return to the win column.