Chinese Taipei booked its place in the semifinals of the AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup after overpowering Alas Pilipinas, 25-16, 25-14, 25-10, on Thursday at the Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur.

The victory improved Chinese Taipei’s record to a perfect 4-0, giving the squad 12 points with one pool match remaining. The result also pushed the Philippines out of semifinal contention and into the classification round of the tournament presented by the Philippine Sports Commission and the City of Candon under Mayor Eric D. Singson.

Chinese Taipei stays unbeaten

Chinese Taipei controlled the match from the opening set and never allowed the Filipinas to establish any momentum. The Taiwanese squad showcased its balanced attack and disciplined defense to complete the straight-sets victory in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 2,800 spectators.

The loss left Alas Pilipinas with seven points after completing its Pool A campaign with two victories and three defeats. Despite showing promise earlier in the tournament, the host nation fell short against one of the competition’s strongest teams.

Setter Yi Jen Liao expressed her appreciation for the support shown by local volleyball fans throughout the match. She said the team was delighted to earn the victory while competing before a passionate crowd at the Candon City Arena.

“I feel very happy. Big thanks to the fans,” Liao said.

Chinese Taipei will close out its pool-stage schedule against Korea, which remains in contention for the second semifinal berth from Pool A. Korea currently holds nine points with two matches remaining, while Australia still has an outside chance with five points and two matches left to play.

Vietnam, Kazakhstan roll on

Over in Pool B, Kazakhstan and defending champion Vietnam continued their dominant campaigns and officially secured the two semifinal berths from their group.

Kazakhstan improved to 4-0 after dismantling Lebanon, 25-11, 25-19, 25-14. The Central Asian squad maintained its unbeaten record behind another solid all-around performance.

Ekaterina Mikhailova paced Kazakhstan with 14 points, while Dinara Razakberlina contributed 10 markers. Lebanon remained winless through four matches despite a 13-point effort from Shantelle Marie Demirjian, who scored all of her points through attacks.

Vietnam likewise remained unbeaten after defeating Iran, 25-19, 25-20, 27-25. The defending champions overcame a determined challenge in the third set before completing the sweep.

Thi Thanh Thuy Tran once again spearheaded Vietnam’s offense with 21 points built on 19 attacks and two blocks. Thi Bich Thuy Tran added 12 points, including three blocks, to help Vietnam secure its fourth straight victory.

Iran absorbed its third defeat in four outings and fell out of contention for a semifinal berth. Indonesia, which owns a 2-2 record, also saw its hopes of reaching the semifinals come to an end.

With both teams unbeaten, Kazakhstan and Vietnam will battle for the top position in Pool B on Friday. The highly anticipated showdown will determine the final pool rankings heading into the knockout stage.

Chinese Taipei, meanwhile, enters the semifinals with momentum firmly on its side after a dominant pool-stage campaign. The Taiwanese squad has yet to drop a match and will look to carry that form into the medal rounds as it pursues the AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup crown.