SEA Games: Thailand crushes PH in volleyball semis

MANILA – The Philippine women’s volleyball team has been relegated to battle for bronze as defending champion Thailand pummeled them in the semifinals of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia. 

Powerhouse Thailand scored out a mighty 25-22, 25-9, 25-12 victory over Philippines on Saturday to book a Finals ticket for yet another chance to win the gold medal in the biennial meet.

The Philippines will face either Indonesia or Vietnam in the battle for third place on Sunday, May 14. 

The country gave Thailand a scare in the opening set as it took the lead after an attack of Tots Carlos, 10-9.

They stretched it a little further to 17-14 as Thailand committed an attack error but the perennial SEA Games champion eventually retook the upper hand with a 4-0 run, ended by Kokram Pimpichaya’s through-the-block kill, 18-17. 

Carlos would try to rally the Philippines back with two straight spikes to equalize the game at 22, but Pimpichaya hammered two crosscourt spikes before Jia de Guzman committed an error to surrender the first set. 

It was all Thailand in the second set as they started the frame with a 10-3 spurt, steered by Pimpichaya’s offensive and defensive performances.

They never looked back since then as Nuekjang Thatdao ended the set with back-to-back aces, 25-9. 

In the third set, Thailand pulled away immediately again as Kongyot Ajcharaporn hammered a down-the-line spike for a 12-6 cushion.

Seetaloed Warisara made it a 18-9 gap with a pipe attack. Pimpichaya extended the separation into double digits, 21-10. 

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