Alas Pilipinas Women bagged a bronze medal in the 2025 SEA V.League Second Leg with a sweep of Indonesia 25-17, 25-17, 28-26 on Sunday at Ninh Binh in Vietnam.
‘It was the national team’s second straight sweep of the Indonesians this month, first doing so last week to also clinch third place in the competition’s first leg. Overall, this is Alas Pilipinas’ fourth straight bronze medal in the tournament—and it is perhaps an indication that the Philippines, at least in Southeast Asia, is starting to make headway in women’s volleyball.
Indeed, Alas’ second straight dismantling of Indonesia is something to cheer about, as the country’s young volleybelles, including Bella Belen, Eya Laure, and Alyssa Solomon, connived to overpower their counterparts from Indonesia.
Unfortunately, Alas Pilipinas couldn’t hurdle just yet either Thailand or Vietnam, indisputably the region’s yardsticks when it comes to volleyball. Worse, they only won one set against the two powerhouses—the same number of sets they won in the First Leg of this competition.
Vietnam Destroys Alas Pilipinas Women, Thailand Follows Suit
Alas Pilipinas Women began the Second Leg on a sour note, losing to Vietnam, 25-14, 30-28, 25-22, at the Ninh Binh Gymnasium. That defeat marked the Philippines’ fourth straight defeat to Vietnam, a streak that stretches back to the 2025 AVC Nations Cup Final, the 2025 VTV Cup, and the SEA V.League’s First Leg. It was also a step down of sorts for Alas Pilipinas Women as they couldn’t win a set this time after doing so in the First Leg.
Things didn’t get any better for Alas Pilipinas Women against Thailand as they again lost, 25-22, 25-17, 24-26, 25-16, behind the superb play of Pimpichaya Kokram, Sasipapron Janthawisut, Kuttika Kaewpin, and Wimonrat Thanaphan. The sweep relegated the Philippines to the bronze-medal match versus Indonesia and dropped its record against Vietnam and Thailand to 0-4 in these two legs of the 2025 SEA V.League.
The Gap Hasn’t Been Bridged Just Yet
More than relegating Alas Pilipinas to a battle for third yet again, the twin losses to Vietnam and Thailand served up an icy reminder: The Philippines’ best in women’s volleyball just isn’t up to par just yet with the region’s powerhouses. It’s a sad, cold reality, but it’s the truth. There’s a gap that still separates the Philippines from Thailand and Vietnam, and it hasn’t been bridged even with the influx of young talent in Alas Pilipinas Women.
Even so, there is reason to believe the Philippines will soon shrink that gap. The talent, for one, is undeniable, with Belen and Solomon just two of Alas Pilipinas Women’s needle-movers. Angel Canino is another one, along with Shaina Nitura, Clarisse Loresco, and many more. They are young, talented, and impressionable—and they’re just getting started.
The veterans are pretty good, too, and they aren’t that old yet. Laure fits the bill, as do Vanie Gandler, Maddie Madayag, and a few others. Together, Laure, Belen, and the rest of this iteration of Alas Pilipinas Women form a dynamic and talented mix of players in their prime and young stars entering theirs. And this means this team will only get better—individually and collectively.
Does that mean Alas Pilipinas Women will soon be good enough to beat Thailand and Vietnam?
That’s the plan, and fans will find out soon enough.
