Alas Pilipinas Women fended off a third-set surge from Singapore to complete a 25-13, 25-8, 25-18 sweep, clinching a semifinal berth at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Friday at the Indoor Stadium Huamark in Bangkok.
After a straight-set loss to defending champion Thailand, the Philippines bounced back to finish second in Pool A behind the unbeaten Thais, posting a 1-1 record to secure their fifth consecutive semifinal appearance in the biennial meet.
Following dominant performances in the first two sets, the Filipina spikers faltered on defense early in the third. That allowed Singapore to stay close and eventually pull to within one, 13-14, on back-to-back points from Tzak Hshin Natalie Lai and Ethel Siow Yi Yin.
However, a crucial attack error by Jolis Aw Xin Rui proved to be the turning point. Former La Salle teammates Angel Canino, Amie Provido, and Mars Alba then scored on successive possessions in a 4-0 run that stretched Alas’ one-point lead to 18-13.
A back-and-forth battle ensued, but the Singaporeans refused to go down quietly. Aw hammered a quick hit before Jolyn Xin Yi Chua converted a push to trim the five-point deficit to 18-21, keeping the tension high before the Philippines fought to maintain their lead.
However, Yao Yi Chan’s service went long, giving Alas the opening they needed. Shaina Nitura and Maddie Madayag delivered the finishing touches that eliminated Singapore from contention and secured the Philippines a spot in the crossover semis.
“We were able to get more loose, get more comfortable coming into the game today and ‘yun lang naman ‘yung hinahanap namin eh, na makuha ulit namin ‘yung groove namin as Alas,” said team captain De Guzman.
“Kasi since we had very little preparation, ito ‘yung way namin of getting to the rhythm again of being Alas Pilipinas, so we’ll be riding into the next round naman with this momentum,” she added.
Solomon and Nitura spearheaded the charge for Alas with 10 points apiece, while Canino and Provido added nine points each in the win.
Bella Belen, who struggled in her debut yesterday, tallied six points, while Dell Palomata and De Guzman registered four points.
The Philippines, led by Belen, Canino, and Alyssa Solomon, joined hands in a lopsided 25-13 opening-set win that set the tone for the Filipina spikers in the second frame.
Riding the momentum from their first-set surge, Alas zoomed to an 18-10 lead before Nitura, Vanie Gandler, and Provido spearheaded a 7-0 run that put the Filipinas just one set away from victory.
The Philippines will face the winner of the final Pool B match between Vietnam and Indonesia in the semifinals on Sunday.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old middle blocker Melanie Yong paced Singapore, who will face Myanmar in the 5th-7th classification match, with eight points. Chua finished with seven markers.
