Alas Pilipinas falls to Vietnam in tight SEA V. League opener

MANILA, Philippines – Alas Pilipinas stayed within striking distance most of the way but crashed out in the end, succumbing to Vietnam in four sets, 25-23, 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, in their Southeast Asian V. League opener on Friday night, August 2, at Vinh Phuc, Vietnam. 

Marred by errors especially on crucial stretches, Alas almost doubled the home team’s errors, 23-12, squandering an impressive all-around performance which saw the Philippines outscore Vietnam in attacks (58-53), blocks (14-13), and aces (7-6).

National University product Alyssa Solomon marked her return to the national team with 20 points, but was held to just a single point in the fourth set. 

Dell Palomata, who stands at 6-foot-3, was also a revelation for the Philippine squad, tallying 14 points on 9 attacks and 5 blocks.

Eya Laure added 13 markers while Vanie Gandler and Thea Gagate scored 12 apiece, filling the scoring load left by Sisi Rondina in the final two sets. 

Laure punctuated the Filipinas’ dominant 8-1 run to end the second set as she connected on 3 straight blocks to secure their lone set win. 

Alas was in the driver seat late in the first and third sets, only for Vietnam to step on the gas and snag control when it mattered the most.  

Seemingly poised to take the first set, Alas held a 23-22 lead before Bella Belen had an error that preluded back-to-back aces from Pham Thi Nguyet Anh, shifting the set to the Vietnamese. 

The Filipinas were again up 22-21 in the third set, but failed to sustain their momentum as they conceded four straight points to Vietnam to go 2-1. 

It was more of the same for the Filipinas in the fourth frame after pulling themselves within one at 21-22, with the squad absorbing a Nguyen Thi Bih Tuyen kill before giving up two attack errors to seal their fate.

Tuyen shone bright for Vietnam, finishing with 27 points on 25 attacks as no other Vietnamese scored in double digits, including Southeast Asian legend Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, who only played in the first three sets and had 6 markers.

The loss put the Philippines at 0-1 along with Indonesia at the start of Leg 1.

The national squad will be out for a massive upset tomorrow when it takes on five-time defending champion Thailand at 5 pm, Manila time. – Rappler.com