CALL it another Philippine miracle against Vietnam - only this time, in volleyball.
Alas Pilipinas produced a landmark 22-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-22 victory over the regional giants in Leg 2 of the 6th SEA V.Cup on Saturday.
The win snapped a 15-match skid to Vietnam dating back to the second leg of the 2019 ASEAN Grand Prix, the inaugural staging of the tournament that eventually evolved into the SEA V.Cup.
READ: Alas Girls make history with first FIVB Worlds win vs Mexico
Hours after Alas Girls made waves with their historic first FIVB World Championship win, Alas Women followed suit with another breakthrough that gave Philippine volleyball a memorable double.
The result was just the Filipinas’ fourth win in 21 international head-to-head meetings against Vietnam, and also marked Taka Minowa’s first victory as Philippine head coach after taking over the program ahead of the first leg.
The Vietnamese, who finished runners-up in Leg 1, entered the match already reeling from a stunning five-set loss to Indonesia the day before.
This time, Vietnam again found itself on the wrong end of a fightback by Alas, who improved to 1-1, all even with Indonesia for second-place in the second leg standings.
The Philippines, however, holds the edge on points after taking all three points from its four-set victory over Vietnam, while Indonesia earned only two points from its five-set win over the Vietnamese.
That could prove crucial, as Leg 2 heads toward its finale. Depending on the result of Thailand and Indonesia’s clash later, the Filipinas could find themselves in prime position to return to the podium after finishing last in the opening leg.
Sending a statement
Vietnam took the opening set after breaking an 18-all tie, but Alas responded by overcoming a 21-20 deficit in the second, then raced to an 18-8 lead in the third before holding off another Vietnamese rally. Vietnam tied the fourth at 22-all, only for Eya Laure to deliver the final two points.
Laure led Alas Women with 22 points on 19 attacks, two blocks and an ace, while Alyssa Solomon added 17 and Bella Belen 16.
Middle blockers Thea Gagate and Dell Palomata combined for 19 points as Alas dominated the net with 15 blocks and seven aces, six more than Vietnam.
Even Tran Thi Thanh Thuy’s 25-point effort went for naught, as the Leg 1 runner-up remains winless after being dealt its second straight setback.
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