VIETNAM slammed the door shut on Alas Pilipinas from the get-go this time around in a quick 25-16, 25-20, 25-22 sweep in the 2024 SEA V.League Leg 2 on Saturday in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Although the match stayed close, it wasn’t anywhere near a potential encore of their Leg 1 showdown which saw the Filipinos win a set and nearly force a fifth set tiebreak.
On to the next for Alas
Fresh off four straight silver medal runs in the regional meet, Tranh Thi Tanh Thuy-less Vietnam picked up back-to-back wins to set up another virtual gold medal duel with the undisputed six-time titleholders Thailand.
Alas, on the other hand, will gun for its first win of Leg 2 against Indonesia on Monday at 4 p.m. Just like Leg 1, the match will be a battle for bronze.
READ: Alas beats Indonesia, secures SEA V.League podium finish
Another stellar effort off-the-bench from Faith Nisperos paced a tough ordeal for the nationals with 12 attack points to her name.
The University of Sto. Tomas' star tandem fueled Alas' struggling offense through Eya Laure (six points) and Sisi Rondina's (six points) joint efforts.
Away from the attacking ends, Alas was troubled in the other scoring departments with just four aces and two blocks from Rondina and the returning Cherry Nunag in total over the one-hour, 24-minute contest.
Alas' award-winning pair in Thea Gagate and skipper Jia de Guzman found their way to the scoresheets with five and four markers, respectively.
It didn't even take an explosive performance from Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen, who had 12 points in straight sets, to get the job done for the Vietnamese side as it was Vi Thi Nhu Quynh who showed the way in scoring with a 16-piece built on 13 attacks and three blocks.
The Philippines got the better of the Indonesians in four sets just two weeks ago, the former's first triumph over the latter in the regional meet.
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