Philippines bows to mighty Japan in Asian U-23 volleyball

The Philippines dropped a straight-set loss to powerhouse Japan, 25-12, 25-18, 25-15, in the second round of the Asian U-23 Wome's Volleyball Championship on Monday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Nerves once again showed for the inexperienced Filipina squad, which committed 27 errors compared to just 10 for Japan in the quick sweep.

The Philippines relied heavily on captain Alyssa Valdez in scoring, but their floor and net defense failed to stop Japan's barrage of attacks coming from all angles.

After the slow start in the first and second sets, the Philippines began to play with energy in the third and momentarily took an 8-5 lead, only to lose it again as Japan recovered.

The team then collapsed and failed to bounce back against the more mature Japanese squad.

The Philippines will face Chinese Taipei on Tuesday to continue their battle for seeding in the quarterfinals. -- Marisse Panaligan/JST, GMA News