Alas Pilipinas bags SEA VLeague bronze

Alas Pilipinas finally landed a podium finish after capturing bronze in the 2024 Southeast Asian (SEA) VLeague 1^st leg following an exciting 25-23, 15-25, 25-23, 25-21, win over Indonesia on Sunday in Vinh Puc, Vietnam.

Alyssa Solomon, Sisi Rondina and Eya Laure led the way as the Filipinas ended a five-year win drought and checked an 11-game losing skid since their last third place finish back in 2019.

Alas rediscovered its touch after a second set meltdown as it outworked the Indonesians in the last two frames that went down to a mad dash to the finish.

Solomon capped her tournament debut with 16 points she collected from 14 kills, three kill blocks and an ace while Laure and Rondina added 13 markers each including a combined 10 points in the fourth frame in Alas’ sweet revenge over its bronze medal tormentors in the last three editions of the regional volleyball tournament.

The Philippines won bronze in the first two legs of the SEA V.League in 2019 but lost all of its games in the next three editions since the tournament’s return from Covid-19 shutdown in 2022.

Alas shook off its second set beating by taking control of the third set, 21-16, following a Laure kill.

Indonesia rallied to tie it at 23 but Fifi Sharma answered back with a quick attack to take the set point advantage before Arsela Purnama committed a costly attack error as Alas moved up, 2-1, in the match.

Smelling blood, Alas raced to an early lead and took control of the fourth set with Solomon and Laure sealing the victory.

The Gagate chipped in with 13 points while Sharma got seven markers for Alas, who took advantage of the Indonesians’ 28 errors.

It was Alas’ lone win in the leg after dropping its first two matches against Vietnam and Thailand.

The Brazilian Jorge Souza De Brito-mentored squad bagged its second b bronze medal this year after a breakthrough third place finish in the AVC Challenge Cup.

Indonesia ended up winless in the leg despite the 22-point effort of Purnama.

Megawati Pertiwi got 18 points while Ratri Wulandari and Wilda Nurfadhilah scored 11 and 10, respectively, for Indonesia.

Alas looks to equal if not surpass its finish in the second leg in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand from 9 to 11 August.