After dethroning Thailand in the semifinals, the Philippines' magical run in the men's volleyball competition of the 30th Southeast Asian Games ended as Indonesia completed a straight-sets win in the championship, 25-21, 27-25, 25-17, Tuesday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
The Philippines still achieved a remarkable feat by clinching its first silver medal in 42 years. This also marks a breakthrough return to the podium since it won the bronze in 1991.
The Philippines, ranked 131st in the world, slayed ASEAN giants like Thailand (no. 39) and Vietnam (no. 65) on the way to the finals.
The power duo of Marck Espejo (15 points and 16 receptions) and Bryan Bagunas (11 points and five digs) continued to lead the charge for the home team.
Middle blocker Rex Intal and playmaker Joshua Retamar also made sure to leave their mark. Intal finished with nine points, while Retamar tallied 20 excellent sets on top of four blocks.
"We're really happy that we got the silver and we made history," Bagunas said in Filipino. "Hopefully the support will continue so that the Philippine men's volleyball team can reach greater heights."
Indonesia, which handed the Philippines its first and only loss in the preliminary round, set the tone with a 5-0 start in the opening set. Rivan Nurmukli proved to be a thorn in the home team's side as he kept scoring at will.
After dropping the first set, the Philippines kept in step throughout the next period. Espejo and Bagunas showcased their firepower and even forced a 24-all deuce. Espejo responded to a kill by Rivan to tie the score again at 25, but Indonesia finished it off with back-to-back points for a 2-0 lead in the game.
Indonesia carried over the momentum in what turned out to be the final set, limiting the Philippines to just 17 points to seal the win.
Haryono finished with 20 points all from spikes, while Nurmukli added 17 points. Sigit Ardian also played a vital role with 11 points and 15 receptions.
Indonesia remained undefeated in the tournament, sweeping all five of its matches before taking home the crown, which belonged to Thailand in the last four editions of the Games.