By: Christian Dave Ruiz
Alas Pilipinas fell to powerhouse Osaka Bluteon in straight sets, 17-25, 10-25, 21-25, on day two of the PNVF Invitationals at the Philippine Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Despite the tough loss, young standouts Michaelo Buddin and Jade Disquitado showed promise throughout the match.
Italian head coach Angiolino Frigoni pointed out that Alas struggled with defense, which hurt their chances of staying competitive.
“What we have now is this: sometimes we play good, and sometimes we play very bad some points, and that is typical of the young player. The experienced player, they don’t have this though,” said Frigoni.
Alas fought hard, with Disquitado breaking through Bluteon’s block early in the third set (4-3) as they tried to extend the match. However, a crucial attack error by Disquitado during the final stretch of the third frame sealed their defeat.
Buddin and Disquitado led the scoring for Alas with nine and six points, respectively.
On the other side, Yuji Nishida powered the Japanese team with 12 points, including seven attacks, one block, and four aces.
Following the Invitationals, the Drawing of Lots for the 2025 FIVB World Championship, set to take place in the Philippines, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Solaire Resort Hotel.
