Bella Belen never stopped believing.
With a historic silver medal within reach, the Capital1 Solar Spikers star and the rest of Alas Pilipinas knew they had one final hurdle to clear: an Indonesia side that had already beaten them just a week earlier.
This time, the Filipinas were ready.
Alas Pilipinas battled through a marathon fourth set to defeat Indonesia, 25-13, 23-25, 25-19, 33-31, on Sunday at Chiang Mai Stadium in Thailand and secure the Philippines’ first-ever silver medal in the SEA Women’s V Cup.
“We were really prepared for this game because we had a chance to get the silver medal, and I believe in the team,” Belen said after the match.
“I know that we can win this game, and I’m so happy that we won this game.”
The Philippines set the tone early, racing to a 1-0 lead after dominating the opening set. Indonesia responded in the second and continued to challenge Alas Pilipinas throughout the match.
The Fourth Set Decider
Alas Pilipinas held an early three-point advantage before Indonesia fought back and reached set point at 24-22. With the silver medal on the line, Belen delivered a crucial attack to keep the Filipinas alive before Fifi Sharma blocked Ersandrina Devega to force deuce.
Indonesia regained set point through Medi Yoku, but Sharma answered with a quick attack before Eya Laure’s cross-court winner gave Alas its first match point at 26-25.
The battle continued deep into extra points, with the Filipinas surviving four more Indonesian set points before finally finding the breakthrough.
Alyssa Solomon tied the score at 31-all with a powerful cross-court attack before Sharma came up with another crucial block on Devega. The Indonesian hitter then sent her next attempt long, ending the marathon and sending Alas Pilipinas to a historic silver medal.
Key Performances for an Historic Finish
Belen played a pivotal role on both ends of the court, finishing with 17 points and 15 excellent digs.
She was backed by Solomon, who led all scorers with 19 points, while Laure added 17 points on 14 attacks and 3 blocks, along with 8 excellent digs.
The victory was particularly meaningful after Indonesia handed the Philippines a four-set defeat in the opening leg, 20-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-16. That loss ended Alas Pilipinas’ four-year bronze medal streak and left the Filipinas winless heading into the second leg.
Belen acknowledged the challenge of facing Indonesia again.
“We know that Indonesia will play better against us because we lost the last game against them.”
But rather than dwell on the past, Alas Pilipinas focused on what it could control.
“We had a chance, we won already two sets, so it’s up to us if we finish the game early. And I believe in the team, and I’m very happy. And I hope the Philippines is proud of us.”
The silver medal capped a remarkable turnaround for Alas Pilipinas, which entered the second leg without a win but closed the tournament with victories over Vietnam and Indonesia to secure its best-ever finish in the SEA Women’s V Cup.
