Philippines vs Vietnam in the Asean Grand Prix on Saturday. –SMM VOLLEYBALL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine women’s volleyball team absorbed a lopsided 12-25, 16-25, 16-25 loss to Vietnam and bowed out of gold medal contention in the 2022 Asean Grand Prix on Saturday at Chatchai Hall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Tran Thi Thanh Thuy and the Vietnamese asserted their mastery over the Filipinos as she delivered 13 points, hitting 11 of her 26 spikes, to earn their second straight victory and move on the cusp of ruling the three-day tournament.
Hoang Thi Kieu Trinh nailed the finishing blows, pouring five of her nine points in the third set. Pham Thi Nguyet Anh and Tran Thi Bich Thuy chipped in eight points each, as setter Doan Thi Lam Oamh distributed the offensive loads and finished with six points, including four of the team’s 12 blocks to dispatch the Philippines in one hour and 16 minutes.
Vietnam, which only committed six errors in the game, assured at least a silver medal — its best finish in the Asean Grand Prix after losing all of its six matches in two legs in 2019. It battles Southeast Asian rival and two-time champion Thailand for the gold medal on Sunday at 7 p.m. (Manila time).
The Philippine national team, composed of the Creamline Cool Smashers, has a shot at a third straight bronze medal when it battles Indonesia on Sunday at 4 p.m. to wrap up their campaign.
Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza, once again, carried the cudgels for the Filipinos, while setter Jia De Guzman orchestrated their plays.
Carlos tried to give a last-ditch effort for the Philippines, scoring eight of her 11 points in the third set. Galanza and Celine Domingo scored seven points each while Rose Vargas had five points in her first start for the team.
Michele Gumabao, who was limited to four points against Thailand in the opener, matched her first game output in the second set, fueling her team’s 5-3 start and kept Vietnam within one after she and Vargas trimmed the deficit to 13-14.
However, the 10-time Southeast Asian Games silver medalist scored six straight points capped by Pham’s ace for a 20-13 spread. Celine Domingo stopped the bleeding but the Vietnamese never looked back and took a two-set advantage.
The Filipinos still showed signs of life in the third set erasing a 6-12 deficit as Carlos’ attacks and De Guzman’s aces trimmed it down to two, 10-12. But the Vietnamese leaned on Nguyen Thi Uyen and Hoang to keep the momentum on their side with a formidable 21-13 lead before Galanza and Vargas stopped the bleeding with two consecutive attacks.
Nguyen pushed Vietnam at match point, 24-16, as setter Doan sealed the straight-set win with a big block on Galanza.