Alas Pilipinas rises to no. 55 in world, no. 8 in Asia

Alas Pilipinas continues to exceed expectations as they climbed up several notches in the world rankings.

The Philippine national women's volleyball squad rose from no. 63 to no. 55 in the latest FIVB world rankings after wrapping up the pool stages of the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Women, where the nationals went undefeated with a 4-0 slate.

Alas emerged as the eighth best team in the continent with powerhouse China and Japan occupying the top two spots in the Asian rankings while Thailand and Kazakhstan, which the Philippines will face on Tuesday in the AVC semifinals, are currently ranked third and fourth, respectively.

South Korea, Vietnam, and Chinese Taipei, meanwhile, follow suit.

The Philippines' sudden rise was due to Alas' dominant run so far in the AVC, where the Filipinas bested Australia, India, Iran, and Chinese Taipei to complete a sweep of the eliminations and book a rare Final Four ticket.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News