THE FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup (VCC) for Women will not only provide Alas Pilipinas the opportunity to toughen up further in a “one miss and you’re out” tournament but also ice the series of dry run competitions ahead of the country’s first-time and solo hosting of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025.

“We’re down to 14 months to go and at the rate we’re going, we look forward to aiming for a well-hosted world championship in 2025,” said Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara as he thanked the FIVB for acknowledging the federation’s successful hosting of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Men’s Week 3 two weeks ago at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

“The Philippine’s love for volleyball was clear, setting the stage for the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025,” the FIVB said in its official website.

“The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Men’s pool in Manila … attracted a massive turnout of 45,886 fans eager to witness world-class volleyball, an exciting sign of what is to come for the upcoming FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025 in the country.”

The men’s world championship featuring the top 32 nations, including host Philippines, is set September 12 to 28 next year.

The FIVB added in its website news: “The event [VNL Men’s Week 3] was marked by excellent organization and hospitality, which allowed the action on the court to take center stage. As the tournament unfolded, fan excitement and engagement visibly grew.”

The highest attendance, the FIVB said, was recorded on the final day when it peaked at 93.82% with 12,497 tickets sold as fans packed the SM Mall of Asia.

Alas Pilipinas coach Jorge de Brito, meanwhile, is bracing for a tough showdown with Southeast Asia powerhouse Vietnam which the nationals play on the second day of the VCC on Friday.

The Brazilian coach, whose contract was extended a year after the Alas women clinched a historic bronze medal in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Challenge Cup last month, said his wards should focus on “what they can bring and not who they are facing.”

“I think we know what we need to know about Vietnam,” De Brito said. “We know their players, we know how they play.”

“We shouldn’t be surprised with what they can do, what we should be concerned about is what we should do,” he added.

The VCC starts Thursday (July 4) with Puerto Rico taking on Kenya at 3 p.m. and Belgium facing Sweden at 6:30 p.m.

The Filipinos play the Vietnamese at 6:30 p.m. on Friday after the 3 p.m. match between Argentina and the Czech Republic.