2025 SEA Games: Alas Women fall to Vietnam in volleyball semis, drop to bronze medal game

Alas Pilipinas made a gallant third set stand, but ultimately fell short to absorb a 17-25, 14-25, 17-25 loss to Vietnam in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games women's indoor volleyball semifinals on Sunday in Bangkok, Thailand. 

With the straight-sets defeat, the Filipinas have been relegated to the bronze medal game against the loser of the semis clash between reigning 14-time champion Thailand and Indonesia. 

Alas kept it close early in the third frame with Eya Laure unleashing one from the left wing to take a 3-2 lead, but errors hounded the Philippine bets as Alyssa Solomon went wide on her opposite kill attempt to allow the Vietnamese side to take a 12-7 cushion. 

Another miscommunication between Alas players led to an easy Vietnam point as last year's silver medalists erected a more comfortable 16-9 advantage. 

Alas, though, responded with a 4-1 swing led by Solomon and Angel Canino as they trimmed the deficit to four, 13-17. But that didn't scare the powerhouse Vietnam at all as hard-hitting outside spiker Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, more popularly known as T4, sent her camp to a 20-14 lead off a strong hammer in the open. 

Laure still tried to pump some life into Alas, but Vietnam's bench players stepped up to provide the finishing kick as Shaina Nitura's attack error sealed it for Asia's no. 4-ranked volleyball team. 

Alas still has a shot to finish a podium as they now head to the bronze medal game set on Monday. 

—JMB, GMA Integrated News