One last hurrah for history.
Alas Pilipinas will have no time to lick its wounds after veteran Kazakhstan sent it crashing back to earth in the knockout semifinal, as it has less than 24 hours to rest and prepare for familiar foe Australia in the bronze-medal match on Wednesday, May 29.
Playing its sixth match in seven days, the host nation will have to manage its star-studded, yet weary roster, as the likes of captain Jia de Guzman, Angel Canino, Eya Laure, and Sisi Rondina are likely on their last legs for the weeklong tournament.
Luckily, Alas found another ace at the very bottom of the deck as spirited 19-year-old Arah Panique had the game of her young life with a team-high 14 points in the losing effort to the knockout final-bound Kazakhs.
She, along with rested Vanie Gandler and Faith Nisperos, can very well spell the difference in each set’s breakaway moments as star Aussies like Caitlin Tipping, Emma Burton, and Cassie Dodd are also likely feeling the burn of the week’s exhausting grind.
Although already assured of its best finish in the 63-year history of the AVC, the Philippines could still use a last-ditch attempt to scale the podium, as it has not done so in international competition in 19 years, not since the 2005 Southeast Asian Games also hosted in Manila.
Could this historic Alas group get it done one last time or will the revenge-minded Aussies leave their hosts empty-handed?
First serve is at 4 pm, preceding the Vietnam vs Kazakhstan gold-medal match.
