CHONBURI — The Philippines’ Alas Women Beach volleyball team advanced to the gold medal match at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games after defeating Vietnam 2-0 on Monday, December 15, at the Jomtien Beach Arena in Pattaya. This victory marked their fourth win in as many outings in the round-robin preliminaries.

The finals will see a rematch against Thailand, the reigning champions, who remained unbeaten after defeating Singapore 2-0. The Philippine spikers will face Thailand again on Wednesday, in a preview of the gold medal showdown scheduled for Friday.

Historic finals berth for PH

This is the first time the Philippines will compete in the gold medal match since beach volleyball was introduced at the SEA Games in 2003. Previously, the country won three bronze medals, with Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons claiming two of those in 2019 and 2022.

Rondina and Pons, the ‘Sipons’ duo, led the way against Vietnam by defeating Dinh Thi My Nga and Mai Hong Hanh, 21-18, 15-21, 15-10, in the first match. Their performance set the tone for the team’s historic finals berth and energized the Philippine delegation.

Rodriguez and Villapando seal 2-0 win

Floremel Rodriguez and Sunnie Villapando closed out the sweep by defeating Chau Ngoc Lan and Nguyen Le Thi Tuong Vy, 22-20, 19-21, 15-10, in the second match. Their victory secured the 2-0 overall result, giving the Philippines a shot at gold and a chance to challenge Thailand in the final.

The team’s consistent performance throughout the preliminaries showcased depth, composure, and determination, signaling strong potential for the gold medal match.