MANILA – The Philippines fell short against Vietnam, 21-25, 25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 15-8, at the start of the 30th Southeast Asian Games women’s volleyball at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
Thi Thanh Thuy Tran unloaded 27 points with all but one coming off attacks on Tuesday night while completing his triple-double with 13 digs and 13 excellent receptions for the Vietnamese.
Thi Xuan Nguyen chipped in 15 markers, Thi Nga Bui scored 14 points while Thie Kieu Trinh Hoang added 10 markers for the 2017 SEA Games bronze medal winners.
The Philippine women’s volleyball team had a strong start behind Alyssa Valdez and were engaged into a tight battle with the Vietnamese in the second frame but surrendered the set still for a 1-all count.
The Vietnamese went on to dominate the home team in the third quarter but the Philippine squad bounced back in the fourth frame behind Valdez and Jovelyn Gonzaga to force a decider.
Vietnam was quick to recover in the deciding set; it banked on its potent net defense to create an early separation that the national women’s volleyball team failed to surmount.
Valdez posted 22 points to lead the Philippines with 20 coming off spikes and added 13 receptions. Frances Molina and Jovelyn Gonzaga finished with 12 markers each for the Philippines, which will tangle with defending champions Thailand tonight./PN
