Alas Pilipinas look to continue their inspired run in the VTV Cup 2025 by pulling off a monumental upset over defending champion Korabelka in the semifinals and securing a historic Finals berth.
Alas Pilipinas Women are riding a wave of momentum into the semifinals of the 2025 VTV Cup as they brace for their toughest challenge yet—defending champions Korabelka of Russia, this Friday night, July 4, at the Vinh Phuc Gymnasium in Vietnam.
Fresh off a clean sweep of Thailand’s Est Cola in the quarterfinals, 25-17, 25-21, 25-20, the Filipinas have now won three straight matches and look poised to make a breakthrough in the international scene.
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But standing in their way is a battle-tested Korabelka squad, which eliminated the NU Lady Bulldogs last year in four sets during the 2024 edition of the tournament.
This time around, the Russian side remains just as dangerous, led by reigning VTV Cup MVP Elizaveta Nesterova. The scoring machine torched NU for 33 points in last year’s clash and is once again in deadly form, averaging over 23 points per match in the ongoing tournament.
Led by Eya Laure, Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips, Vanie Gandler, and Jia de Guzman, Alas Women will need to dig deep to dethrone the Russians and enter their first-ever VTV Cup finals appearance in the country’s history.
The winner will face either Vietnam or Chinese Taipei in the gold medal match.
[ALSO READ: Vanie Gandler optimistic Alas Pilipinas will get finals rematch vs Vietnam in VTV Cup]
First serve between Alas Pilipinas and Korabelka is set at 6:00 p.m. (Manila time).
(With reports from Kiko Demigillo)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]