Iran head coach Lee Do Hee was impressed by two Alas Pilipinas stars after their strong showing in a tightly contested five-set battle during the 2025 AVC Women's Nations Cup.
Despite bowing to Iran in a heartbreaking five-set defeat, Alas Pilipinas earned high praise from the opposing bench.
Iran head coach Lee Do Hee admitted she was impressed by Alas Women’s level of play in their 16-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-23, 15-13 comeback win Monday in the AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup.
The victory marked a revenge game of sorts for Iran, as Alas Pilipinas took the win in sweeping fashion in last year's AVC Women’s Challenge Cup.
“We lost to the Philippines last year, but this year we won, and I think our players' self-confidence has grown a lot,” Lee told One Sports. “They’re really good at some techniques, and they’re so fast. Their defense is solid. But we actually trained for blocking against them, so we were ready.”
After the victory, Lee specifically singled out team captain Jia de Guzman and rising star Angel Canino as players who stood out for Alas.
“The setter [De Guzman] and no. 12 [Canino really impressed me],” she added.
Canino once again led the way for the Philippines with 20 points, while De Guzman continued to steer the offense with veteran composure and pinpoint setting. Notably, both players won individual awards in the 2024 edition of the tournament.
[ALSO READ: Angel Canino, Alas take loss in stride, optimistic ahead of last two pool games in AVC Nations Cup]
Meanwhile, Alas head coach Jorge de Brito remained proud of his team’s effort despite losing control of the fifth set.
“We also had the chance after leading the fifth set, but that’s the game. Iran played well and deserved the win,” said de Brito. “My players gave everything after playing three days straight. We’ll keep improving—we still have a chance, and we’ll fight for it.”
Now with a 2-1 record in Pool B, the loss puts the Philippines in a tighter race for a semifinal berth.
Alas Women will face New Zealand next on Wednesday, June 11, before wrapping up the group stage in a crucial matchup against Kazakhstan on Thursday.
With a much-needed rest day on Tuesday, the team looks to reset and gear up for two must-win matches to keep their Nations Cup campaign alive.
(With reports from Mei-Lin Lozada)