Indonesia exacted revenge on Alas Pilipinas, snapping the Filipinas’ four-consecutive SEA V Cup bronze medal streak with a 20-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-16 victory to close the first leg of the 2026 tournament on Sunday at Dong Anh Gymnasium in Vietnam.
The victory was long overdue for the Indonesians, which had fallen to the Philippines in each of their previous four SEA V Cup matches.
Alas Pilipinas looked poised to force a deciding fifth set after staying level through the early exchanges, but Indonesia unleashed a dominant 12-3 closing run from a 13-all tie to clinch its first SEA V Cup podium finish since 2023.
Bella Belen’s off-the-block hit that trimmed the deficit to 15-20 turned out to be the Philippines’ final point of the match. Indonesia then closed the contest with five unanswered points, with Belen’s attack sailing long to bring up match point before she was blocked on the ensuing rally to seal the victory.
The defeat marked the first time that the Filipinas missed the podium of the SEA V Cup since 2023, where they finished fourth.
Alas Pilipinas actually got off to a strong start in the match, leaning on its middle blockers to seize control of the opening set.
Niña Ytang ignited a decisive 4-0 run with three points to turn a one-point deficit into a 22-19 advantage before Dell Palomata accounted for three of the team’s final five points to hand the Filipinas the opening frame.
From there, the momentum quickly shifted in the second frame, with Alas Pilipinas struggling to find its rhythm as Indonesia capitalized on its sharp attacking and improved defense to even the match at 1-1.
Both teams traded blows throughout the third frame before Indonesia seized control late.
Arsela Nuari Purnama, Ersandrina Devega, and Rara Maradanti spearheaded a crucial 4-0 run that turned a one-point lead into a 22-17 advantage, giving them enough breathing room to fend off the Philippines and move to a set away from the bronze medal.
The second leg of the SEA V Cup will begin on August 7 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with Alas Pilipinas set to take on Thailand at 4:30 p.m.
