Filipino spikers bow out of SEAG contention after sweep loss to Cambodia

The Philippine men's volleyball team won't be coming home with a podium finish for the second straight edition of the Southeast Asian Games.

This as the Filipino spikers absorbed a 25-18, 25-18, 25-17 sweep loss to home team Cambodia on Thursday night at the National Olympic Stadium to be dealt their second loss in the ongoing 32nd Cambodia SEA Games.

The Philippines previously fell to two-time defending champion Indonesia last Wednesday to kick off its campaign.

Similar to their last outing, the Filipinos also put up a gallant stand in the third set, inching closer with a 19-14 deficit but the high-flying Pin Sarun put the hosts up again by five.

Steven Rotter then soared above two Cambodian blockers to pump some life to the Philippine side, 21-16, but Sarun was just unstoppable as he nailed the last two points for the hosts to upset the visitors.

This will be the second time in a row that the Philippines, a silver medalist in 2019, will miss a medal after winding up fifth in the previous edition while Cambodia finished with a bronze medal that year.

The Filipinos, though, still have a chance to close out their campaign on a high note as they go up against fellow winless team Singapore on Saturday, May 6.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News