After being swept by Cambodia in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games group stage on Thursday night, the Philippine men’s volleyball team lost any chance of winning a medal.
At the in front of a packed house Olympic Indoor Stadium, the Filipinos lost in straight sets (18-25, 18-25, 17-25) to the hosts.
They dropped their first Group A match in straight sets to Indonesia and are now winless (0-2 in the group). Cambodia has a 2-0 record and will go to the semifinals alongside Indonesia. The Philippines must compete in the classification round despite winning silver this year.
Wing Duo of Pin Sarun
The Filipinos were helpless against the wing duo of Pin Sarun and Mouen Menglaiy. Sarun ended the match for the Philippines with consecutive hits in the deciding set.
After jumping off to a quick 6-1 lead in the opening set, Cambodia’s errors allowed the Philippines to claw back. A crosscourt hit by Joshua Umandal brought the score to 16-13 in favor of the Philippines. However, the Filipinos also let in goals due to errors, while Cambodia tightened up its net protection. Cambodia won the first set, 25-18, after a block by their team on Umandal.
Service Blunder
A service blunder by Filipino-American recruit Steve Rotter gave the hosts a commanding 19-9 advantage in the second set. Din Siden’s kill put Cambodia at a set point, but Jayvee Sumagaysay’s quick hit immediately halted their momentum at 24-18. But that was as close as the Filipinos would get, as Rotter made another service error to give Cambodia a 2-0 lead.
In Set 3, the Philippines played more competitively, with Jay Rack Dela Noche securing a crosscourt kill after a long rally and Jade Disquitado closing off a rally with a hit from the pipe for a 12-9 count. But Menglaiy woke up and helped Cambodia pull away, and Sarun sealed the deal.
The Philippines (1-2) will play Singapore (0-2) on Saturday for their first victory.
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