Defeated but unbroken: Kazakhstan falls to Philippines but secures semifinal spot

After a successful streak of four victories in the group stage of the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Nations Cup in Hanoi, Vietnam, Kazakhstan’s national women’s volleyball team was swept by the Philippines with a 0-3 scoreline (21-25, 15-25, 19-25).

Yesterday, the Kazakh team performed well in a match against Iran (winning 3-1), securing a spot in the semifinals before the end of the group stage — but losing the team’s leader Sana Anarkulova to injury.

Even though Kazakhstani athletes did their best, it wasn’t enough to win a single set. As in the previous match, Tatyana Nikitina delivered the most effective performance, scoring 12 points (11 from attack and 1 from a block). Margarita Belchenko also stood out, contributing 9 points — all from attacks.

The loss ended Kazakhstan’s winning streak but their semifinal berth was confirmed. Advancing as the second-place team, however, makes things more difficult, as their likely opponents will be the tournament hosts — who remain undefeated. Without Anarkulova, the upcoming match against Vietnam will be a major challenge, as today’s game against the Philippines clearly demonstrated.

Eleven national teams are participating in the AVC Nations Cup, divided into two pools. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semifinals on June 13, with the winners meeting in the final on June 14.