Alas Pilipinas bags second straight bronze in SEA VLeague

Alas Pilipinas in the SEA VLeague second leg.–Photo from SAVA Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — Alyssa Solomon, Sisi Rondina, and Jema Galanza formed a potent combo to complete Alas Pilipinas’ SEA VLeague stint with another bronze medal in the second leg on Sunday in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

Down two sets to one, Galanza provided the spark from the bench to help Solomon and Rondina lift the Philippines past Indonesia in five sets, 20-25, 25-20, 16-25, 25-20, 15-10, for another podium finish in the conclusion of the regional meet.

After getting dominated in the third set, Galanza led Alas to a 13-10 start with four points to open the fourth frame, where they pulled away with an 18-12 spread before the Creamline star brought the team at set point off a block and a kill, 24-18. Indonesia saved two points but setter Jia De Guzman nailed a 1-2 play to force a decider.

READ: Alas Pilipinas drops to 0-2 in SEA VLeague second leg

The trio led the Filipino Spikers to a hot 7-2 start capped by Fifi Sharma’s block but the Indonesians scored three in a row after it fielded Junaida Santo to cut it down to two. Santi and Megawati Pertiwi tried to maintain the deficit to a two-point game, 12-10.

But Cherry Nunag drilled a big kill block to stop the bleeding followed by Pertiwi’s attack error that pushed Alas at match point, 14-10. Solomon delivered the bronze-medal-clinching attack to complete the come-from-behind win.

Solomon, who won the second leg’s Best Opposite Spiker, led the Philippines with 25 points built on 21 kills out of 35 attack attempts and four blocks to overcome Pertiwi’s 36-point effort.

Rondina chipped in 18 points, while Galanza scored eight in the fourth set to finish with 13 points off 10 spikes, two blocks, and an ace.

The Philippines, which had a two-week training camp, completed its VLeague stint with another podium finish, asserting its mastery of Indonesia a week after ending its five-year medal drought in the tournament in Vietnam.

Alas had a total of two wins in six games both against Indonesia as it has yet to beat Vietnam and Thailand in the league, which was founded in 2019. 

But it was the nationals, who continue to play under Brazilian coach Jorge Souza De Brito, third bronze medal this year since winning third place in the AVC Challenge Cup last June.

READ: Jia De Guzman, Gagate bag awards in Alas Pilipinas’ bronze win

De Guzman, the Best Setter of the 1st leg, anchored Alas’ offense with Sharma and the tournament’s first-leg Best Middle Blocker Thea Gagate also contributed five points each. Liberos Dawn Macandili-Catindig and Jennifer Nierva took care of the floor.

Indonesia, which was the Philippines’ tormentor in the past three SEA Games, went winless in six games in two VLeague legs despite the efforts of Pertiwi, who fired 31 attacks, three blocks, and two aces.

Arsela Purnama had 17 points. Wilda Nurfadhilah provided five blocks to finish with 13 points, while Nurlaili Kusuma added 10 points.

It will be the turn of the Alas men’s team to play in the VLeague starting on Friday in the first leg held at Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The second leg is set in Indonesia starting on August 23.