POLOMOLOK, South Cotabato — Alas Pilipinas showed plenty of promise but ultimately dropped a four-set decision to Vietnam, 27-29, 17-25, 25-20, 19-25, to open its 2026 SEA V Cup campaign on Friday at Dong Anh Gymnasium.
Coming off a convincing third-set victory, the Philippines failed to sustain its momentum in the fourth as Vietnam unleashed a blistering 9-1 run behind the returning Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, who sat out the previous frame. The surge turned a slim 14-10 advantage into a commanding 19-11 lead.
The two teams traded points the rest of the way, but Alas Pilipinas could not put together the defensive stops needed to mount a comeback.
(C) SAVA
The Filipinas made one last push with a 4-1 run sparked by Bella Belen and Thea Gagate to cut the deficit to 24-19. However, Tran Thi Bich Thuy sealed the victory with a running attack.
Belen led Alas Pilipinas with 17 points, while Eya Laure and Alyssa Solomon contributed 16 and 12 points, respectively.
The Philippines pushed Vietnam to the brink in the opening set and looked poised to take the early advantage before the hosts escaped with the extended frame.
Erika Santos and Belen delivered back-to-back attacks to give Alas Pilipinas its first set point at 24-23, but Nguyen Thi Uyen answered with a cross-court hit to force deuce.
The Filipinas regained set point after a Dell Palomata attack, but Vietnam refused to yield, creating two set points of its own before finally converting on its third opportunity.
Tran Thi Bich Thuy ignited the decisive run with a quick attack before Tran Thi Thanh Thuy denied Alyssa Solomon at the net to complete the comeback and hand Vietnam a 1-0 match lead.
(C) SAVA
Riding the momentum of its dramatic opening-set escape, Vietnam took control early in the second frame and never looked back. The hosts stretched the lead to 17-11 following a Vanie Gandler service error before cruising to the set with an almost flawless performance, committing just three errors to move within one set of victory.
With Thanh Thuy resting in the third set, Alas Pilipinas capitalized on the opportunity. The Filipinas pulled away with a decisive 4-0 run led by Belen, turning an 18-16 edge into a 22-16 cushion before Belen capped the set to force a fourth.
Thanh Thuy, despite playing only three sets, still paced Vietnam with 13 points. Quynh and Tran Thi Bich Thuy added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Alas Pilipinas will look to bounce back against Thailand on Saturday at 5 p.m. as it tries to keep its medal hopes alive in the four-team tournament.
