Tag: sweep

Belgium knocks out Sweden with sweep

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Belgium celebrates a point against Sweden in the n the FIVB Challenger Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. – MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.net

MANILA, Philippines — Belgium unleashed a balanced attack to knock Sweden out of the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup with a 25-16, 25-23, 25-22 win Thursday evening at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Belgium, which missed stars Britt Herbots and Silke Van Avermaet, overcame the European Golden League champions with Manon Stragier leading the way with 17 points off 13 attacks, three blocks, and an ace. 

Britt Fransen also stepped up for Belgium with 12 points including five big blocks, while Pauline Martin was also instrumental with 11 points to forge a knockout semifinal against Puerto Rico on Saturday.

SCHEDULE: Alas Pilipinas women at FIVB Challenger Cup 2024

Martin believes that their service-receive and net defense were the factors to their strong start in the qualifier for next year’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL), hoping to sustain their momentum in the semis against Puerto Rico, which swept Kenya earlier.

“It was important for us to win the serve receive that was a big part of the game today, which I think we dominated the whole game. It was an organized block defense. We kept their main spikers under control and played our game and tried not to make mistakes,” the opposite spiker said. 

“We haven’t scouted them (Puerto Rico) yet. I know they’re a pretty different team from last year. They are more like a defensive team so it’s going to be really hard to score against them so we’re gonna see and analyze their team and take it as a new game and opportunity,” she added.

READ: FIVB Challenger Cup: Puerto Rico ousts Kenya to advance to semis

Martin is also looking forward to a bigger crowd over the weekend which she had experienced in the VNL at Smart Araneta Coliseum two years ago and saw in the men’s tournament Week 3 two weeks ago. 

“The gym is not full today. I hope it’s gonna be full on the weekend because I’ve seen the VNL men and it was quite impressive so I’m really looking forward to and hoping to see a lot of fans. But so far it’s so good, everyone’s so nice to us,” Martin said.

“I was here two years ago when we played in Manila. It was a different experience so I wouldn’t really compare it but it’s really good, there’s a lot of fans and it was a pretty amazing gym and  it’s incredible to see how people in the Philippines love volleyball, it’s really obvious and it’s amazing.”



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Sweden was sent packing with Anna Haak and Alexandra Lazic carrying the cudgels with 15 and 14 points, respectively.

U18 squad eyes sweep for promotion, redemption

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Gabby Ramos against Indonesia defenders Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup Seaba Qualifiers. –FIBA BASKETBALL

Gilas Pilipinas is back in the Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup and will be shooting for redemption—and Division A promotion—nearly two years after a heartbreaking loss that had the squad settling for third place.

The young Nationals, coached by longtime women’s program mentor Julie Amos, arrived in Shenzhen, China, on Saturday (Manila time). Still sore from a friendly with the La Salle Lady Archers and a long trip from the airport to the Chinese city, they immediately rolled their sleeves and got to work, eager to erase the heartaches of the past.

“Even though coming from an early flight, we were able to rest a bit and get back to training,” Amos told the Inquirer. “We had our first training today at 2 p.m. and [we hope to do it tomorrow] 2 p.m. again before June 24.”

The Philippines’ path will first go through the Maldives, a side they picked apart with methodical precision in their last meeting, 110-28, in the previous edition of the tournament held in Bangalore, India.

The clash is set at 4:30 p.m. at Futian Sports Park with the likes of Naomi Panganiban, Gabriella Ramos, and Tiff Reyes expected to match their strong showing during the Asia Cup qualifiers in Thailand last May.

2022 heartache

Amos noted her charges’ zest but knows all too well that it will all be for naught without the proper mindset.

“We all know that this will be a tough competition. And for us to be able to win, to face all [sorts of] adversities, we have to be ready mentally and physically,” she said. “Being resilient and determined is what [we need to do] in this tournament. The girls are excited and ready.”

Gilas is also slotted with Syria and Lebanon in Group B.

The Philippines was on track to reach the you-or-me finale during the 2022 showcase, but ran into a tough-as-nails Malaysian side that prevailed in overtime, 66-65. Gilas, then starred by the likes of Kate Bobadilla, Kristian Yumul, and Louna Ozar, played Samoa to wind up in third place.

A sweep of the Shenzhen showcase will finally send the Philippines to Division A, where continental powerhouses China, Japan and Australia compete.



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Japan bounces back with sweep of Netherlands

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Japan’s Yuji Nishida in a VNL 2024 Week 3 game. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Yuji Nishida and Yuki Ishikawa brought Japan back to its winning ways torching the Netherlands, 25-18, 25-19, 25-20, in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 3 on Friday evening at Mall of Asia Arena.

After losing to Canada in the Manila leg opener and missing Ran Takahashi, who was ruled out of the crucial week, Nishida stepped up when it mattered most with 16 points.

He led the Japanese’s comeback in the third set, where they trailed the Netherlands, 6-10.

READ: Japan star Ran Takahashi out for remainder of VNL 2024

“It’s very important, this win. Last game, the Japanese team lost and that’s on me. The mentality was down, but we tried to push the mentality, the passion, the important things this game,” said Nishida, who finished with 10 kills, three aces, and three blocks.

“I’m happy. It’s a very good win. Now, we have the next two matches and it’s very important to win. Now, there’s no recovery [time].”

The Japanese found their groove in the third set with Nishida’s back-to-back aces and massive back row kill put them ahead 16-12 and never looked back to improve their record to 7-3 in sixth place.

Nishida scored 10 points in the final set as Japan seeks to solidify its spot in the Final Eight when it wraps up its third consecutive stint in Manila against France on Saturday before battling the USA on Sunday at 7 p.m.

READ: VNL 2024: Ran Takahashi, Japan seek improvement after loss to Canada

Ishikawa backstopped Nishida with 15 points off 12 kills, two aces, and a block, while Tatsunori Otsuka stepped up with eight points to fill in the void left by Takahashi.

“We have to think of our volleyball always even if he isn’t here. Today was an important match for us because we lost against Canada. And we should focus on our [team]. We won 3-0, so it’s important for us,” he said.

Japan's Kentaro Takahashi and Yuji Nishida

Japan’s Kentaro Takahashi and Yuji Nishida. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

The hard-hitting Japanese pair also accommodated their fans–majority of them went to the fan zone even before the game started.

“It’s so incredible. I gave in to the energy so I’m so happy. Every fan is good today, so thank you so much,” Ishikawa said. 

“I’m so happy because the crowd is always full, and cheers a lot, so it’s amazing to [play] out here,” added Nishida.

Nimir Abdel-Aziz, who scored 38 and 37 points in the first two games, was limited to just seven points, as Maarten Van Garderen was the lone bright spot with 10 points.

The Netherlands slid to 13th place with a 3-8 record, hoping to end its Manila stint against Canada on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Celtics aim to regroup after Mavericks avoid sweep

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Boston Celtics players sit on the bench during the final moments of their loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the NBA finals, Friday, June 14, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

NBA Finals 2024 Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks

Poised for an NBA coronation in Dallas, the Boston Celtics instead suffered the most lopsided Finals loss in franchise history, but with a 3-1 series lead Jaylen Brown says there’s no need to panic.

“These are the moments that can make you or break you,” Brown said after the Mavericks demolished the Celtics 122-84 in game four of the best-of-seven championship series.

“We have to reassemble,” Brown said. “We have to look at it and learn from it, and then we’ve got to embrace it and attack it.

“It’s going to be hard to do what we’re trying to do. We didn’t expect anything to be easy, but it’s no reason to lose our head.”

Boston forward Jayson Tatum said the key to moving past the big defeat was “not to harp on it too much”.

“We’re not making any excuses,” Tatum said. “We need to be better, and we will.”

READ: NBA Finals: Celtics back home with chance to clinch record 18th title

Certainly, the Celtics still have the upper hand heading into game five on Monday, where they’ll try to clinch a record-setting 18th NBA crown.

After all, no team has come back from 0-3 down to win an NBA playoff series.

But a Celtics squad schooled by coach Joe Mazzulla on the hunting tactics of killer whales looked more like the hapless seal pups on the beach as Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the rest of the Mavs roared to a 38-point game-four win.

It was the third-largest margin of victory in Finals history, and the worst pounding the 17-time champion Celtics had ever taken in the title series — surpassing their 137-104 loss to the Lakers in game three in 1984.

Kyrie Irving Dallas Mavericks beat Boston Celtics Game 4 NBA Finals

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, center, drives to the basket against the Boston Celtics during the first half in Game 4 of the NBA basketball finals, Friday, June 14, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

The Celtics won that series in seven games, and they still have three chances to close out the Mavs.

But from talk of a sweep the question now is could they become the first team to blow a 3-0 series lead.

Dallas, meanwhile, know the magnitude of the task they face.

“History is going to be made either way,” said Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, who won a title alongside LeBron James in Cleveland in 2016. “We’d like to be on the right side of it.

READ: Celtics knocked down hard in Game 4, but go home with chance to clinch

“We waited until game four to ultimately play our best game,” Irving added. “Took long enough for all of us to get the party together and to play for each other the way we did (Friday).

“But it’s definitely a possibility that we can replicate it.”

Irving will have to perform better than he did in games one and two in Boston, where Celtics fans still bitter over his 2019 exit after a two-year tenure with the team, hounded him relentlessly.

“When we go to Boston, there’s going to be a bunch of them yelling a whole bunch of crazy stuff still, but I think we’ve been able to grow and face kind of this adversity head on.”

Mavs star Luka Doncic will also have to maintain the intensity he displayed in game four, when he scored 29 points with five rebounds and five assists while sitting out all of the fourth quarter to answer critics who questioned his maturity and effort.



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“I think he made a few people eat their words — in a healthy way,” Irving said.

Luka Doncic, Mavericks crush Celtics to avoid sweep

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Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and center Dereck Lively II (2) prepare their defense against the Boston Celtics during the first half in Game 4 of the NBA basketball finals, Friday, June 14, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

DALLAS— Luka Doncic scored 25 of his 29 points in the first half, Kyrie Irving added 21 points and the Dallas Mavericks emphatically extended their season on Friday night, fending off elimination by beating the Boston Celtics 122-84 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

The Mavs’ stars were done by the end of the third quarter, with good reason. It was all Dallas from the outset, the Mavs leading by 13 after one quarter, 26 at the half and by as many as 38 in the third before both sides emptied the benches.

The 38-point final margin was the third-biggest ever in an NBA Finals game, behind only Chicago beating Utah 96-54 in 1998 and the Celtics beating the Los Angeles Lakers 131-92 in 2008.

READ: Luka Doncic learning in first NBA Finals, but not conceding to Celtics

Before Friday, the worst NBA Finals loss for the 17-time champion Celtics was 137-104 to the Lakers in 1984. This was worse. Much worse, at times. Dallas’ biggest lead in the fourth was 48 — the biggest deficit the Celtics have faced all season.

The Celtics still lead the series 3-1, and Game 5 is in Boston on Monday.

The loss — Boston’s first in five weeks — snapped the Celtics’ franchise-record, 10-game postseason winning streak, plus took away the chance they had at being the first team in NBA history to win both the conference finals and the finals in 4-0 sweeps.

Jayson Tatum scored 15 points, Sam Hauser had 14 while Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday each finished with 10 for the Celtics.

Dallas Mavericks Dereck Lively NBA Finals Mavericks vs Celtics

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) celebrates a score against the Boston Celtics during the second half in Game 4 of the NBA basketball finals, Friday, June 14, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 15 points, all in the fourth quarter, and Dereck Lively II had 11 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas. It was Lively who provided the hint that it was going to be a good night for the Mavs in the early going. He connected on a 3-pointer — the first of his NBA career — midway through the first quarter, a shot that gave the Mavs the lead for good.

READ: ‘Fun’ key to Mavs’ bid for unprecedented NBA Finals comebac–Doncic

And they were off and running from there. And kept running.

It was 61-35 at the half and Dallas left a ton of points unclaimed in the opening 24 minutes as well. The Mavs went into the break having shot only 5 of 15 from 3-point range, 10 of 16 from the foul line — and they were in total control anyway.

The lowlights for Boston were many, some of them historic:

— The 35 points represented the Celtics’ lowest-scoring total in a half, either half, in Joe Mazzulla’s two seasons as coach.

— The 26-point halftime deficit was Boston’s second biggest of the season. The Celtics trailed Milwaukee by 37 at the break on Jan. 11, one of only eight instances in their first 99 games of this season where they trailed by double figures at halftime.

— The halftime deficit was Boston’s largest ever in an NBA Finals game, and the 35-point number was the second-worst by the Celtics in the first half of one. They managed 31 against the Lakers on June 15, 2010, Game 6 of the series that the Lakers claimed with a Game 7 victory.

Teams with a lead of 23 or more points at halftime, even in this season where comebacks looked easier than ever before, were 76-0 this season entering Friday night.

Make it 77-0 now. Doncic’s jersey number, coincidentally enough.

The Celtics surely were thinking about how making a little dent in the Dallas lead to open the second half could have made things interesting. Instead, the Mavs put things away and fast; a 15-7 run over the first 4:32 of the third pushed Dallas’ lead out to 76-42.

Whatever hope Boston had of a pulling off a huge rally and capping off a sweep was long gone. Mazzulla pulled the starters, all of them, simultaneously with 3:18 left in the third and Dallas leading 88-52.



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The Mavs still have the steepest climb possible in this series, but the first step was done.