Alas Pilipinas Women’s bid for a podium finish in the opening leg of the 2025 Southeast Asia Volleyball League suffered a major setback on Saturday afternoon after a four-set loss to a composed Vietnam squad, 13-25, 21-25, 25-23, 9-25.
Now 0-2 in the tournament, the Filipinas must defeat Indonesia in a do-or-die match at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday to keep their bronze-medal hopes alive. But even that won’t be enough — they’ll need host nation Thailand to prevail over Indonesia in their 6:00 p.m. encounter to remain in contention.
The loss also marked Alas Pilipinas’ third defeat to Vietnam this year, following previous setbacks in the AVC Challenge Cup final and the VTV Cup.
Early Struggles and a Brief Comeback
The Nationals struggled to establish rhythm in the opening two sets, plagued by unforced errors and inconsistent offense. They fell behind quickly in the first frame, 8-17, and never recovered, conceding the set in just 20 minutes.
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The second set showed some promise, with Eya Laure, Vanie Gandler, and Leila Cruz helping to trim a six-point deficit to three, 19-22. But Vietnam’s composure held, with Trần Thị Thanh Thúy, Nguyễn Thị Uyên, and Trần Thị Bích Thủy combining to close it out, 25-21.
Alas Pilipinas found their footing in the third set, overcoming a 5-10 deficit as Gandler led a late charge aided by Vietnamese errors. With the score tied at 21-all, Laure delivered two clutch attacks, Dell Palomata added a quick kill, and Vietnam committed a service error to hand the Philippines their first set win of the tournament, 25-23.
Vietnam Closes the Door in Fourth Set
Vietnam quickly regrouped in the fourth set and delivered a dominant response. Đoàn Thị Lâm Oanh’s clever 1-2 play, back-to-back aces from Nguyễn Thị Bích Tuyền, and a solid block from Trần Thị Bích Thủy opened up an 11-3 lead. Nguyễn Thị Uyên then delivered three straight attacks to seal the win, snuffing out any chance of a Philippine comeback.
With the win, Vietnam improved to 2-0, securing at least a second-place finish and setting up a virtual championship showdown with Thailand, who also remain undefeated, on Sunday night.
All Eyes on Sunday
For Alas Pilipinas, the path to a third straight SEA Volleyball League bronze medal is now steep. Their final group match against Indonesia is a must-win, but their fate also depends on Thailand handing Indonesia its second loss.
With their podium hopes hanging in the balance, the Filipinas will need not only a turnaround performance on the court, but also a bit of help from the tournament hosts.
