Alas Pilipinas absorbed their second consecutive loss after bowing to Vietnam in straight sets, 16-25, 20-25, 22-25, in Leg 2 of the 2024 Southeast Asian V-League on Saturday in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Coming off an 18-25, 23-25, 16-25 defeat at the hands of host Thailand the previous day, the Philippines suffered another setback – this time against Vietnam.
The loss drops them to 0-2 in the standings.
The Vietnamese pounced on the Filipinas early in the first frame, going on an 8-0 run that broke a 6-all deadlock and led to a 14-6 advantage from which the Filipinas never recovered.
Alas Pilipinas showed improvement in the second frame, but it was not enough.
Nguyen Thi Trinh and Hoang Thi Kieu Trinh led a 7-2 finishing kick that turned an 18-all tie into a 25-20 win for Vietnam, giving them a commanding 2-0 set advantage.
The Vietnamese once again made a late run in the third set, pulling away from an 18-all tie with a 6-2 run that put them at match point, 24-20.
Bella Belen saved a match point with an off-speed attack, while Chery Nunag saved another by blocking Hoang Thi Kieu Trinh.
Unfortunately, Belen committed a service error, sealing the win for Vietnam.
Alas also lost to Vietnam in Leg 1, 23-25, 25-20, 22-25, 21-25.
The Philippines will try to salvage a second consecutive bronze medal in the tournament when they take on Indonesia tomorrow at 4:00 PM.
