At the conclusion of the AVC Cup for Women preliminary round on Thursday at the Philsports Arena, Creamline-Philippines triumphed over South Korea with scores of 25-18, 25-13, and 25-17. This victory earned the team a spot in the quarterfinals.

Tots Carlos contributed 12 points, two of which came in the form of blocks, and Jema Galanza had 11 kills as the hosts finished third in Pool A with a 2-2 record.

Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara shares, “These two wins are amazing for Philippine volleyball, its history—beating Iran and Korea for the last 30 years or more.”

Coach Sherwin Meneses was pleased with his country’s performance in the continental competition. He was a member of the coaching staff for the national men’s volleyball team that won a historic silver medal at the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019.

Meneses, who recently steered Creamline to a Premier Volleyball League title two weeks ago, says in a statement, “We are so happy that we made it to the quarterfinals. Hopefully, we could have a better performance in the next round. We will try our very best.”

In the quarterfinal round on Saturday, the Philippines will take on Thailand, which placed second in Pool B. 

Whatever happens, the national women’s team is certain to improve upon its ninth-place performance in the Thailand-based competition hosted in Nakhon Ratchasima in 2018. 

Ced Domingo scored nine points on three blocks, while Michele Gumabao earned three of her seven. 

Meneses was able to rely on the efforts of the reserves, as Lorie Bernardo, Pau Soriano, and Rose Vargas—three players making their national team debuts—combined for seven points. 

The production Domingo had in the service area, two aces, was matched by Bernardo. 

The Korean team’s season came to an end with the defeat, their fourth straight defeat, as they placed ninth.

Scores per set are as follows:

First set 25 – 18

Second set 25 – 13

Final set 25 – 17

Win goes to the Philippines.