Alas Pilipinas Men salvaged a second consecutive bronze medal in the Southeast Asia V.League after a gritty come-from-behind win against Vietnam, 27-25, 14-25, 22-25, 25-21, 15-12, on Sunday at the UNY Sports Complex in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
The Philippines also claimed third place in the first leg of the 2024 season last week, held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
The trio of Michaelo Buddin, Jade Disquitado, and Louie Ramirez delivered crucial plays in the deciding set to propel Alas Pilipinas to the podium.
Buddin helped the Philippines draw even with the Vietnamese side early in the set, while Ramirez and Disquitado finished the job.
With a narrow 12-11 lead, Ramirez executed a through-the-block hit, followed by Disquitado’s off-the-block attack to earn match point.
After Vietnam managed to score once more, Disquitado emerged again with a powerful spike that grazed the fingers of the blockers, sealing the win and the bronze medal for the Philippines.
Buddin led the way for the team with 24 points on an impressive 22-of-35 clip in spikes, while Ramirez supported with 19 points.
Disquitado added 16 points, Kim Malabunga chipped in with 11, and EJ Casaña shone in the starting setter role for Alas Pilipinas.
The Nationals lost their previous matches against Thailand and Indonesia to finish with a 1-2 record, mirroring their performance in the first leg.
This marked a significant improvement for Alas Pilipinas after going winless in both legs of the 2023 edition.
Vietnam finished fourth with a 0-4 record for the second consecutive leg, while Thailand and Indonesia were set to face off for the gold medal later in the day.
Pham Van Hiep’s 29-point explosion for the Vietnamese national team went in vain. Nguyen Ngoc Thuan and Tran Duy Tuyen also contributed 18 and 14 points, respectively, in the losing effort.
