Alas Pilipinas hitter Vanie Gandler is raring for a chance to redeem themselves against hosts Vietnam in the VTV Cup.
There is a firm belief for Alas Pilipinas wing spiker Vanie Gandler that the team will have another shot at regional powerhouse Vietnam in the final of the ongoing 2025 VTV International Women’s Volleyball Cup.
After falling in another straight sets loss against Vietnam in their opening match of the tournament, Gandler said that she is optimistic of the team’s chances of making it into the final, which is the only way that they can meet anew with the current bracket.
Coming off of their second win of the group stage against Australia on Tuesday, Gandler was brimming with confidence.
“Of course, I’m expecting to meet them again in the finals round,” she said in her TV postgame interview.
As many remember, Alas met Vietnam in similar circumstances in the AVC Nations Cup just last month, where they battled for the gold. Much like at the VTV Cup, the Philippine spikers went down in straight sets.
But now, with a retooled lineup centered around Fil-Foreign players like Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips, and Tia Andaya, Alas is bringing a different kind of fight to the table. While the team continues to address the holes in their game, the Cignal HD spiker knows they are working towards the right direction.
“We do have a lot of new players, new [Fil-]foreign players that’s why we keep training. Every day we practice and that’s why we joined this tournament so that slowly we get our connection,” she said.
First order of business for Alas though will be Est Cola from Thailand — a team that previously played in the PVL as a guest team. Though Gandler is looking forward for a chance against the Vietnamese, she understands that the team can’t take any of their foes lightly.
“Thailand is a very strong team so we can’t relax and hopefully we get to make adjustments with our lapses today and keep improving and moving forward,” she said.
Alas faces Est Cola for a spot in the semifinal on Thursday, July 3.