With the silver medal within reach, Bella Belen knew Alas Pilipinas had everything to play for.
Coming off a winless campaign in the opening leg, the Filipinas found themselves one victory away from rewriting their SEA V Cup story. They only needed to overcome an Indonesia side that had already beaten them just a week earlier.
Belen and the rest of Alas Pilipinas knew it would be a battle — and it was. But they dug deep and weathered Indonesia’s relentless challenge, pulling through for the country’s first-ever silver medal in the regional tournament with a dramatic 25-13, 23-25, 25-19, 33-31 victory on Sunday at the Chiang Mai Stadium in Thailand.
“We were really prepared for this game because we had a chance to get the silver medal, and I believe in the team,” the Capital1 star said moments after the tense fourth-set finish, where the Filipinas fended off four consecutive set points before finally pulling through.
“I know that we can win this game, and I’m so happy that we won this game.”
Save for their rousing opening-set victory, Alas Pilipinas could never quite shake Indonesia.
The Indonesians kept clawing their way back, no matter how deep the deficit. That resilience was never more evident than in the fourth set. There, Indonesia refused to go quietly and dragged the silver medal showdown into a tense, nerve-racking extended finish.
“We know that Indonesia will play better against us because we lost the last game against them,” said Belen, referring to their four-set, 20-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-16 defeat to the same side in Leg 1. That loss denied them a fifth straight bronze medal and left the Philippines winless.
Indonesia came within inches of forcing a deciding set, reaching match point four times as the pressure mounted on the Filipinas. But Alas Pilipinas kept finding answers when it mattered most.
Belen was at the heart of the Philippines’ historic finish, delivering a two-way performance of 17 points and 15 excellent digs.
But she hardly carried the load alone, with Alyssa Solomon leading the way with a game-high 19 points. Eya Laure also added 17 points on 14 attacks and three blocks, while chipping in eight excellent digs.
“So, we had a chance, we won already two sets, so it’s up to us if we finish the game early. And I believe in the team, and I’m very happy. And I hope the Philippines is proud of us.”
