Alas Pilipinas Women flew into Bangkok with hope in their eyes, only to be met by a ruthless storm.
The Filipina spikers endured a rough welcome in their debut, falling in straight sets, 11-25, 17-25, 16-25, to home team and defending champion Thailand in the women’s volleyball competition of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Thursday at the Indoor Stadium Huamark.
This puts the Philippines in a must-win situation against Singapore in the three-team Pool A on Friday, 6:30 PM at the same venue.
Riding the momentum from a huge fight in the second set, Alas Pilipinas kept pace with Thailand early in the third. But Chatchu-on Moksri, Sasipapron Janthawisut, and Pornpun Guedpard combined in a 3–0 run to extend a three-point lead to 17-11.
Dell Palomata scored off an emphatic block on Janthawisut’s powerful back-row attack, and Angel Canino hammered down a cross-court hit to stop the bleeding for the Filipinas. However, Kuttika Kaewpin followed with a point that restored Thailand’s six-point cushion at 19-13.
Canino and Alyssa Solomon tried to rally Alas Pilipinas, but it wasn’t enough.
Pimpichaya Kokram and Thatdao Nuekjang helped seal the win with a down-the-line hit and an ace, respectively. Kokram also added back-to-back points to cap a 5–0 finishing surge and secure the host’s sweep.
“First match in the SEA Games was not the way that we expected, but we [still] have a lot to deliver for the country, still,” said Alas Pilipinas head coach Jorge Souza de Brito.
“Tomorrow’s gonna be different and of course, the next three matches that we have, we’re gonna deliver much more than today. We’re gonna study what happened (tonight) but the chemistry is hard. We’re gonna find this in the next two matches,” he added.
Solomon led the way for the Philippines with nine points, while Canino added eight markers in the loss.
Bella Belen and Jia De Guzman chipped in three apiece, while Shaina Nitura, Dell Palomata, and Amie Provido each tallied two markers.
The Thais actually zoomed out of the gates to start the match, turning a slim 10-7 edge into a commanding 17-7 advantage behind a 7-0 surge anchored by Janthawisut and Kokram.
Alas Pilipinas, despite getting a spark off the bench from collegiate standouts Nitura and Provido, still could not slow Thailand’s momentum as the hosts ran away with a 1–0 set advantage.
Settling and finally finding their rhythm, the Philippines showed up in the second set and even seized a 17–16 lead after a Solomon cut shot, followed by an Ajcharaporn Kongyot attack that went out.
However, Thailand’s experience soon took over. Kongyot set the tone, scoring three points in a red-hot 9–0 finishing run that gave the home squad a 2–0 set lead and put them within striking distance of the win.
Kokram spearheaded the Thais with 14 points, while Moksri and Janthawisut came through as well with 11 points apiece in the win that punched their ticket to the semis after finishing Pool A with a 2-0 record.
