Alas Pilipinas Women overcame an early injury scare involving Alyssa Solomon to sweep Indonesia 25-17, 25-17, 28-26, clinching the bronze medal once again in the second leg of the 2025 Southeast Asia V.League held Sunday afternoon in Ninh Binh, Vietnam.
Fresh off narrow losses to regional powerhouses Vietnam and Thailand, the Nationals seemed poised for more misfortune.
At the 17-10 mark of the first set, Solomon was stretchered off the court with an apparent left knee injury after attempting to dig a cross-court hit from an Indonesian attacker.
However, the team breathed a sigh of relief when Solomon returned to the bench at 13-9 in the second set, turning her injury scare into a source of motivation. Fueled by this, the Nationals powered through to secure a straight-sets victory, capturing their fourth consecutive SEA V.League bronze medal.
This win marked the Philippines’ sixth third-place finish in the annual regional tournament, which has been held since 2019 and was formerly known as the Asian Grand Prix.
(C) SAVA
In the third set, Alas Women struggled to recover from a slow start. An off-the-block attack from Mediol Stiovanny Yoku and an off-speed shot from Ersandrina Devega pushed the Nationals into a three-point deficit at 18-21.
Refusing to fold, the Philippines rallied with back-to-back hits from Angel Canino and Fifi Sharma, followed by two straight attacks from Eya Laure, tying the third set at 22-all.
Indonesia was on the verge of forcing a fourth set after a service error by Laure, but a series of decisive plays — three attacks from Bella Belen, a strong block by Dell Palomata, and an out-of-bounds crosscourt hit from Devega — secured Alas Women’s third-place finish.
Earlier, Alas Women broke an 8-all deadlock in the second set, sparking a 9-2 run highlighted by a two-point streak from Laure and a block from Canino. That built a crucial 17-10 lead and gave the Nationals a critical two-set advantage.
Building on an early 12-9 lead in the opening frame, Solomon ignited a quick 4-1 surge — fueled by a through-the-block attack, a block, and an ace — to extend the lead to 17-10 and secure the first set for the Nationals.
(C) SAVA
Following back-to-back third-place finishes in the 2025 SEA V.League, Alas Women will now prepare to train and compete against the World No. 10 Dominican Republic.
These tune-up games with the Dominican squad, which is heading for the 2025 FIVB Women’s World Championship, will serve as a significant buildup for the 2025 SEA Games in December.
On the other hand, Indonesia’s loss marked a continued reversal of fortunes, as they settled for last place in the four-team field for the fourth consecutive time.
