Alas Pilipinas succumbs to Daegu in friendly five-setter match

Alas Pilipinas lost steam down the stretch to absorb a 26-24, 23-25, 23-25, 25-16, 8-15 loss in a thriller against Powerful Daegu in the Serve-Spike Unite Philippines-Korea Women's Volleyball Exhibition Game on Friday in South Korea. 

The Filipinas, who were coming off a historic bronze medal run in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup, survived a tight Set 1 affair against Daegu with Angel Canino and Faith Nisperos conniving for the finishing blows, 26-24. 

The Koreans equalized the match after overcoming an early Set 2 deficit before establishing a massive 19-12 cushion in the third frame to move to a comfortable position. Alas, though, answered with a 10-3 blast that tied things up at 22-all. It was, however, not enough with Daegu escaping to move on cusp of the victory. 

The Filipinas were unfazed despite being down 2-1 as Dell Palomata completed a quick kill for a 23-16 lead in the fourth before Jia De Guzman's one-two finish and an Angel Canino hammer from the opposite allowed Alas to force a deciding fifth set. 

Alas failed to build on that momentum as Daegu swung to a quick 3-0 start in the fifth. 

Arah Panique, who got the starting nod alongside Faith Nisperos in place of Sisi Rondina and Eya Laure, provided some signs of life but back-to-back service errors from Canino and Nisperos sent Daegu to an 11-7 advantage. That ignited the 5-1 closing run unleashed by the Koreans en route to the victory. 

The friendly match is part of Alas Pilipinas' build-up for the upcoming 2024 FIVB Challenger Cup that the Philippines will host in early July.

READ MORE | What's next for Alas Pilipinas?

—Bea Micaller/JKC, GMA Integrated News