Alas drops five-setter vs Australia

CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur, Philippines — Progress, not perfection.

That was how Alas Pilipinas saw its heartbreaking 25-22, 23-25, 18-25, 25-15, 15-11 defeat to Australia yesterday in the AVC Volleyball Cup at the Candon City Arena here.

Alyssa Solomon was finally unleashed after sitting it out in the Filipinas’ 25-16, 25-14, 25-12 rout of the Uzbeks the day before and immediately made an impact by pouring in a match-high 23 points off the bench.

But it wasn’t enough to help prevent the Nationals from falling to the team from Down Under and skidding to their first defeat in two starts in this meet presented by the PSC, FIVB, AVC, Volleyball World and Candon City headed by Mayor Eric Singson.

Alas rookie Nina Ytang remained impressive, scattering 13 points including three service aces while another Alyssa, team captain Valdez, chipped in 11 including critical ones in the deciding set that helped them knot it at 7-7.

But it proved to be the Filipinas’ last stand as the Aussies took charge from there while the former fell in a maze of errors including that most painful one, a net touch by Royse Tubino, that sealed their doom.

“We had so many lapses in terms of small and free balls that we seldom get in this kind of tournament,” said Valdez. “We hope to polish and correct it in our next training.”

Solomon made her presence felt as soon as she was fielded, albeit briefly, in the opening set where Alas fought back from a big deficit, seizing a 19-18 lead only to falter in the end.

But Solomon was fully unchained in the next set where the host team prevailed and gained momentum it used to build enough cushion to weather an Aussie storm late in the third set to go two to one up.

It was all Australia in the fourth frame and early in the final set before Valdez took charge to help the Alas catch up at 7-all.

It turned out to be the last.

Alas will have a chance to bounce back as it clashes with Kyrgyzstan at 3 p.m. today.

Earlier, reigning titlist Vietnam overpowered Hong Kong, 25-9, 25-18, 25-11, to stay unbeaten in Pool B with two triumphs while Chinese Taipei smothered Kyrgyzstan, 25-14, 25-11, 25-17, for its first victory in Pool A.