Alas Pilipinas Men suffered their first defeat in the opening leg of the 2025 SEA V.League, falling in a hard-fought 16-25, 22-25, 24-26 loss to powerhouse Thailand on Thursday evening at the Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur.
Still missing key players Louie Ramirez and Owa Retamar, the Nationals struggled to break through Thailand’s consistent dominance — marking their fifth consecutive loss to the Thais since the tournament’s inception in 2023.
Beyond the SEA V.League, Alas also failed to exact revenge for their previous meeting in the 2025 AVC Challenge Cup, where Thailand relegated the Philippines to the battle for 10th place during the classification phase.
After dropping to a 1-1 slate, Alas will look to make the most out of a one-day break before returning to action against a winless Cambodia side on Saturday, July 12, at 6:00 PM.
Thailand middle blocker Kissada Nilsawai drilled two quick hits for a 21-20, third-set lead, but the Philippines relied on the National University duo of Buds Buddin and Peng Taguibolos to take a 23-21 cushion.
Buddin was quick to atone for Kennedy Batas’ service error, pulling Alas to set point with an out-of-system kill. However, another service miscue — this time by Fil-American spiker Jackson Reed — proved to be the turning point for the Philippines at 24-23.
Two straight hits by Anurak Phanram and team captain Amornthep Khonhan, followed by a game-sealing block by Prasert Pinkaew on Buddin, sealed Thailand’s come-from-behind win and eighth consecutive SEA V.League triumph.
In the second set, a quick three-point swing by Thailand sent the Philippines down an 18-20 hole, but two consecutive hits by Batas rallied the Nationals to within a 20-all deadlock.
However, Alas could only come that close. The Thais showed poise in the clutch with a crucial 5-2 run, finishing the set with back-to-back attacks by Phanram to give the Philippines a two-set deficit.
Thailand seized early control in the match, unleashing a decisive 7-2 run to turn a narrow 15-12 edge into a commanding 22-14 lead, ultimately cruising to a first-set win.
Buddin paced the Nationals in the loss with 11 points on 10 attacks, while Leo Ordiales — who broke out with a 20-point explosion in the tournament opener — was limited to 10 points on eight attacks.
A silver lining for the Philippines was the efficient outing of Batas, the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Tournament MVP, who chipped in seven points in limited court time.
Amornthep led Thailand’s charge with a game-high 20-point performance on 18 attacks with six excellent digs, while Nilsawai added 14 points on 11 attacks and two blocks.
Phanram and Chaiwat Thungkham chipped in eight points as the Thais improved to a clean 2-0 slate in the five-day regional tournament.
In the opening match of the day, Vietnam notched their first victory with a straight-sets sweep of SEA V.League newcomer Cambodia, 25-23, 25-20, 25-21.
Bouncing back from their loss to the Philippines the day before, Nguyen Ngoc Thuan spearheaded Vietnam’s resurgence with 22 points, built on 19 attacks and three blocks. Teammate Duy Tuyen Tran chipped in 11 points off eight attacks and three blocks.
Despite the loss, Cambodia — newly promoted after topping the 2024 SEA V.League Challenge — showed promise in their debut.
Mom Kuon led the way with 16 points on 14 attacks, while team captain Veasna Voeurn followed closely with 15 markers.
