MANILA – The Philippine team backed by the National University (NU) won’t go home without a victory in the 2023 Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship after ripping Uzbekistan on Tuesday. Bella Belen powered the national team with 17 points on 14 attacks, two aces and a block to deal Uzbekistan a 25-20, 25-17, 25-23 beating for 13th place in the Asian tilt at the Chartchai Hall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Helping Belen in scoring were Myrtle Escanlar and NU’s new recruit Arah Panique, who tallied 13 and 10 points, respectively. The Philippines ended the competition with a 1-4 win-loss slate. This was far from the 8th-place finish of the country in the Asian contest in 2017 when it hosted the games. Belen and Escanlar anchored the squad in the opening set, hammering several spikes that gave them a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Philippine further strengthened their bid for the first win in the tournament as Escanlar made sure her presence was felt in the front line to have a 2-0 commanding gap against the Uzbeks. In the third frame, Uzbekistan attempted to stage a comeback, holding an 11-8 breather but it did not last long as Philippines crawled back and tied the tally at 18. Sativoldieva Ezozakhon paced Uzbekistan with 17 points including 14 attacks.
Source: ABS-CBN