The 2018 Asian Women’s Volleyball Cup
- 16–23 September
- Thailand
The 2018 Asian Women’s Volleyball Cup is currently underway in Thailand. After a very disappointing run at the 2018 Asian Games, the tournament would be the perfect chance for the Philippines’ Lady Spikers to bounce back and finish the 2018 international season in a high note. That almost came to be, if not for two shaky meltdowns against Australia and Iran.
The Lady Spikers started their match against Australia 2-0. It then lost the third set 26-24, and with it, all its energy, as it only managed 16 points in the 4th set and 10 points in the tie break. Alyssa Valdez finished the game with 25 points.
The following match against Iran was almost all of the same. The Lady Spikers stormed out of the gates to take the first set. It then went on to lose the second set, and bounce back in the third set with a convincing 25-17 win. However, the fourth set was really a shame, as the Lady Spikers conceded a 25-12 loss. It then went on to lose at the tie break as well. Valdez finished the game with 24 points. Although the team won its third game against Kazakstan, it was already too late, as its semifinals hopes were drowned with the two tie break losses. They will now play for 5th place.
The Lady Spikers, although brave, are still a very young and inexperienced team. Youngsters like Valdez and Paat Mylene should should try their hand at European or South American leagues to further develop their game and help their national team in the future. Countries like Peru, Spain, Portugal, and Argentina, all sporting mid-tier leagues, would be the perfect destinations for them.
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