CANDON, Ilocos Sur — Niña Ytang cherished the “once-in-a-lifetime” experience of sharing the court with some of the Philippines’ best volleyball players in her first stint with Alas Pilipinas in the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup.

“For me, I’m just very, very grateful for the experience that I am experiencing right now, with my Ates. Of course, I will cherish these memories with them,” said Ytang of the opportunity to learn from the likes of Alyssa Valdez, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Ces Molina, and Ara Galang.

Ytang was one of the brighter spots in the Philippines’ campaign in the AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup, where the team finished eighth — its worst showing since making its debut in 2023 — following a straight-sets loss to Iran in the qualification phase.

The four-time UAAP Best Middle Blocker averaged 7.83 points in six games in the continental tilt, starting strong with back-to-back double-digit outings before tapering off as the competition wore on.

Ytang said she believes the team gave everything it had throughout the tournament, stressing that each player poured in full effort despite the tough stretch and difficult circumstances they faced.

“I can say that we did everything we could. We tried our best every game, every game we gave all that we could do,” said the former University of the Philippines standout.

For what it’s worth, Ytang remains grateful for the experience. She views the campaign as a valuable learning opportunity and something she can build on as she looks forward to future national team stints.

“You know, it’s just a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, so it’s been my dream to play with them. So I’m very, very grateful for all the experiences that I have right now.”

The post Niña Ytang calls Alas experience a dream come true appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

CANDON, Ilocos Sur – Chinese Taipei stormed into its first-ever AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup finals appearance in emphatic fashion, stunning Kazakhstan in straight sets, 25-23, 25-16, 25-13, on Saturday at the Candon City Arena here.

The breakthrough assures Chinese Taipei at least a silver medal finish—its highest finish at the continental level—after settling for the bronze medal last year, as it moves one step closer to an unprecedented AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup crown.

Coming off a heartbreaking loss to World No. 33 South Korea, the No. 34 Chinese Taipei quickly picked itself up, surviving a tight encounter against No. 36 Kazakhstan before taking command of the next two sets to punch its ticket to a historic breakthrough in the tournament presented by the Philippine Sports Commission.

“Very happy, and it’s the first time that we are going to the final so I’m really excited. This game I think everybody and Yichi (Chang) played very good,” said team captain Liao Yijen after the victory.

Tsai Yuchun spearheaded the Taiwanese attack with 18 points on 17 attacks and one ace, while 20-year-old opposite spiker Yang Yichi added 14 points on 10 attacks, three aces, and one block, bouncing back strongly from a four-point outing against South Korea.

Hsu Wanyu and Yeh Yuwen contributed seven and six points, respectively, for Chinese Taipei, which finished second in Pool B with a 4-1 record in the tournament co-presented by the FIVB, AVC, Volleyball World, and Candon City headed by Mayor Eric Singson.

The Taiwanese dominated the attacking department, 42-32, and held a 5-1 advantage in aces. They also capitalized on 25 Kazakhstan errors while limiting themselves to just 12.

Chinese Taipei will now head to the gold medal match, where they will take on the winner of the semis pairing between South Korea and defending champion Vietnam on Sunday at 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, it was a crushing defeat for Kazakhstan, which came into the semifinals riding the momentum of a landmark victory over Vietnam, handing the three-time defending champion its first-ever loss in the tournament after a dominant 23-match winning streak.

Tatyana Yatskiv paced the Kazakhs with 12 points on seven attacks and five blocks, while Kristina Belova had 10 markers.

Kazakhstan, meanwhile, will look to regroup as it heads to the bronze medal match, scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The post Chinese Taipei sweeps Kazakhstan, reaches first-ever AVC Cup Final appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur – Alas Pilipinas is set for a collision course with Iran in the battle for seventh place after Australia clinched the third seed in Pool A of the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup on Friday.

The Philippines, which bowed out of semifinal contention after a straight-set loss to Chinese Taipei and finished with a 2-3 record, still had a chance to reach the fifth-place match had the Australians dropped their game against Uzbekistan.

However, world No. 80 Australia overcame a tough early challenge from world No. 101 Uzbekistan before taking full control en route to a 25-20, 30-28, 25-16, 25-8 victory to finish pool play with a 3-2 record in the tournament presented by the Philippine Sports Commission.

The result sets up a tense final assignment for Pool A fourth seed Alas Pilipinas, as world No. 50 Philippines brace for a showdown with world No. 44 Iran—also fourth in Pool B—in the battle for seventh place at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, closing out their 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup campaign.

“Ang magiging main goal, siyempre best na magagawa namin para maipanalo namin yung game. Kasi gusto namin mag-end tong tournament na high note kami,” said Alas interim head coach Shaq delos Santos.

The Philippines and Iran have split their recent AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup meetings.

Alas Pilipinas swept Iran, 25-16, 25-13, 25-15, in pool play two years ago en route to a historic bronze-medal finish at home.

However, the Iranians claimed revenge in their most recent encounter, edging the Philippines in a tense five-set battle, 16-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-23, 15-13, in pool play, with Alas Pilipinas eventually going on to secure a landmark silver medal.

The Philippines will lean heavily on its core of Alyssa Valdez, Alyssa Solomon, Nina Ytang, and Thea Gagate as they look to steady the ship. The quartet is expected to play pivotal roles as the country attempts to salvage its best possible finish in the tournament co-presented by the FIVB, AVC, Volleyball World, and Candon City, Ilocos Sur, led by Mayor Eric Singson, after standing on the podium for the past two years.

Meanwhile, Australia will battle Indonesia for fifth place at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Caitlin O’Dea spearheaded the Volleyroos with 21 points—her best performance in the tournament—on 17 attacks, two aces, and two blocks, while Kayla Cantrill added 15 points, also her highest output of the competition.

Uzbekistan, on the other hand, dropped to the ninth-place match, where they will face Hong Kong—who suffered a 14-25, 13-25, 18-25 defeat to Iran earlier in the day—at 12:30 p.m.

The post Alas Women set Iran clash after Australia seals AVC Cup Pool A third seed appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.