Staying within striking distance for much of the match, the Philippine Men’s Volleyball Team struggled to find a finishing push and dropped to Indonesia, 21-25, 25-23, 33-35, 21-25, in Group B of the Southeast Asian Games at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Nationals kept pace with the Indonesians through steady floor defense and reception, leading to attack opportunities. Errors, however, halted the Philippines’ progress in each set, mirroring their problem in their opening day loss to Vietnam last Monday.
Their problem with errors was most apparent in the third set, in which the Philippines momentarily held a three-point advantage, 19-16, after toughing out a second set win. Service errors and Indonesia’s quick defense dragged the set into a deuce. Turning into the longest set of the tournament, the pivotal third set went to Indonesia after the Philippines failed to capitalize on sideout opportunities.
With a 2-0 record, Indonesia moves on to the semis along with Vietnam. The Philippines bows out of the tournament and has one match remaining against Timor Leste, who are also winless in two matches
