MANILA, Philippines — Despite being out of medal contention, Alas Pilipinas wasted no time in dispatching Qatar with a dominant 25-8, 25-2, 25-9 sweep to secure its first victory in the classification round of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan on Sunday night.
The Filipina spikers were relegated to the classification stage after back-to-back group-stage defeats against defending champion China and Kazakhstan in Pool B, where only the top two teams per group advanced to the next round.
Alas set a ruthless tone early, mounting a staggering 19-0 start in the opening frame before cruising to a 25-8 set win. The national squad maintained its momentum over the next two sets to wrap up the match in swift fashion.
Angel Provido spearheaded the offense for Alas with a match-high 19 points, while Shaina Nitura and Bella Belen chipped in 10 markers apiece.
Alas Pilipinas will next take on Mongolia in the 11th-to-12th classification round, with a victory keeping them in contention for a ninth or tenth-place finish.
