Once again, the Philippines found no answers to the puzzle that is Indonesia.
For the fourth consecutive time, Alas Pilipinas fell to Indonesia in the bronze medal match, 26-28, 25-13, 28-30, 24-26, at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games held at Hua Mark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Philippines displayed all the grit and determination of a team desperate to end a 20-year medal drought. Yet experience — particularly in closing out critical moments — proved decisive, as the Indonesians held firm under pressure to secure a fourth-straight bronze.
“For the country, we always want to do our best. I feel really bad, but the national team is much more than this,” said Brazilian head coach Jorge Souza de Brito.
After a heartbreaking third-set loss, Alas poured everything onto the court, erasing a 21–23 deficit thanks to an Angel Canino cross-court attack and a Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi net error that evened the score.
Pertiwi quickly atoned, following up with a powerful off-the-block hit that pushed Indonesia to match point. But Bella Belen responded with a cross-court strike that sent the game into a deuce.
Unfortunately, that was all Alas could muster. Pertiwi again found gaps in the Philippine blockers to give Indonesia a 25–24 lead. Alyssa Solomon, inserted earlier to spark a turnaround but struggling throughout the match, was denied at the net, sealing the Philippines’ exit from the biennial meet.
Alas Pilipinas finished the tournament in fourth place for the fifth consecutive time.
“For me, masakit. Masakit talaga kahit na first time ko kasi alam kong kaya namin eh, kaya ng team namin. Pag tiningnan kung paano kami naglaro, bawat isa alam na kaya, pero ayun, kinapos,” said Bella Belen.
Composed of young players, the Philippines showed flashes of brilliance but ultimately fell to an experienced Indonesian side. The team was unable to close out the razor-thin first and third sets that could have swung momentum in their favor.
Canino led Alas with 14 points on 10 attacks, three kill blocks, and one ace. fellow Lasallian Amie Provido also finished with 14 points on nine attacks, four rejections, and one service ace in the one-hour, 56-minute match.
Solomon registered 12 points on 10 attacks from 25 attempts, while Belen, coming off the bench, added nine markers, including four in the fourth set. Eya Laure and Dell Palomata contributed eight points each in the loss.
For Indonesia, Pertiwi carried the load with 26 points on 22 attacks and four blocks. Naisya Pratama Putri added 12 points, while Maradanti Namira Tegariana and Chelsa Berliana Nurtomo finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
