Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11) — Despite a promising start with a victory over host Cambodia, the Philippine women’s volleyball team on Wednesday slipped against Vietnam, 20-25, 17-25, 19-25, at the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh.
The Philippine team’s play came off hot with Mylene Paat and Tots Carlos spearheading the spikers to a 14-9 lead in the first set.
The team’s lead in the opener was short lived after reigning SEA Games silver medalist Vietnam pounced on the Pinay spikers’ 4-0 error spree mid-set and finished them off with a 6-0 run to seal the 25-20 win.
Vietnam rode their momentum to the second set, dropping a 12-4 surge led by Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, Doan Thi Xuan, and Nguyen Thi Trinh that widened the gap from which the Philippines never recovered.
With Vietnam leading in the third set, 20-14, the Pinay spikers still pushed to trim the lead and converted a 4-0 run with back-to-back blocks from Carlos and Dell Palomata.
Vietnam’s Thuy, however, stopped the Philippines’ final effort and drilled four out of her team’s last five points to take their second campaign win.
