The Philippine women's volleybal team failed to end a 14-year medal drought after suffering a heartbreaking five-set loss to Indonesia, 20-25, 26-24, 15-25, 25-20, 16-14, in the 30th Southeast Asian Games Monday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
The Philippines dragged the game into a deciding set and reached match point first, but Indonesia closed out with four straight attacks to steal the win.
Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi punished the Philippines' defense, leading the charge for Indonesia with 35 big points including the final kill that clinched the bronze.
Ces Molina topped with 17 points and 12 digs for the home team. Alyssa Valdez contributed 14 points in just three sets of play, while Majoy Baron had 11 points including two aces.
Mylene Paat delivered in the clutch to finish with seven points. Eya Laure and Jovelyn Gonzaga provided the energy off the bench and also added seven points each.
Molina and Paat carried the load down the stretch in the fifth set. From a 7-all tie, the two spikers worked together to build a 12-8 lead. Paat and Molina scored back-to-back again to send the Philippines to 14 with a two-point edge to spare, but Pertiwi anchored a 4-0 closing run for Indonesia to send the hosts crashing out of the podium.
After dropping the opener, the Philippines fought back in the second set. Valdez scored off the block twice to tie the score at 20, followed by a rejection from Maddie Madayag to take the lead. Valdez sent the Philippines to set point with an ace but committed a service error in her next attempt to leave a window open for Indonesia. Paat smashed the ball for another set point before an attack error from Indonesia gifted the set to the Philippines.
Indonesia reasserted its mastery of the home team in the third set, building as high as a 17-8 lead after launching seven unanswered points before coming away with a 10-point win.
The Philippines refused to give up in the fourth set as Mika Reyes and Laure sparked a rally that allowed the Philippines to break away with a 21-12 lead. Molina also had a personal run of her own to shift the momentum to the Philippines' side and force an extension.
Indonesia, however, completed a come-from-behind victory in the final set. Arsela Nuari Purnama and Hany Budiarti ended up with a combined 24 points to help Pertiwi in the scoring onslaught.
The Philippines remained winless in the tournament to finish fourth out of four competitors. Thailand and Vietnam are still battling for the championship as of posting.