Hanoi: Alas Pilipinas seeks to keep its semifinal bid alive against New Zealand on Wednesday in the AVC (Asian Volleyball Confederation) Women's Volleyball Nations Cup in Hanoi, Vietnam. The match is set at 4 p.m. (PH time) at Dong Anh Arena.
According to Philippines News Agency, after a close defeat to Iran, with scores of 25-16, 21-25, 26-24, 23-25, 13-15 on Monday, the Philippines must now overcome both New Zealand and Kazakhstan on Thursday to remain in contention. Angel Canino believes they stand a good chance against New Zealand, who narrowly defeated Mongolia, 25-22, 25-22, 10-25, 20-25, 15-13, on the same day.
Team captain Jia Morado-de Guzman has been instrumental in maintaining team morale. "She told us that we have more matches coming up and that we keep our chins up -- we fight to the end," Canino said during the tournament's rest day on Tuesday, as quoted in a news release.
Canino, a former University Athletic Association of the Philippines top rookie and Most Valuable Player, emphasized the learning and improvement the team has experienced throughout the tournament. Alas Pilipinas coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito also encouraged his players to persist, stating, "The mindset is to always fight hard."
In Pool B, Kazakhstan and Iran both hold 3-0 records, while Indonesia and Mongolia have yet to secure a win. Host Vietnam leads Pool A with a 2-0 card, followed by Chinese-Taipei (2-1), Australia (1-1), Hong Kong (1-2), and India (0-2). The top two teams from each group will advance to the final four.
