Alas Pilipinas Men passed their first test against a resilient Myanmar side, sweeping their opener 25-23, 25-20, 25-21 to move closer to a semifinals berth in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games at the Indoor Stadium Huamark in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Philippines struggled to find their rhythm early, as Myanmar capitalized on sharp off-the-hands attacks to repeatedly breach the block, initially taking control of the opening set and building a lead as large as five points at 21-16.
However, Marck Espejo and newcomer Al-Bukharie Sali—who subbed in for the misfiring Leo Ordiales—combined for five points in a decisive 7-1 run that put Alas ahead, 23-22. Myo Min Oo briefly halted the surge for Myanmar, but Bryan Bagunas and Espejo delivered the finishing touches to give the Philippines a 1-0 set lead.
The second frame saw a back-and-forth battle until Ordiales found his groove, scoring three points—including two aces—in a 4-0 run that broke a 16-all deadlock and gave Alas a 20-16 cushion.
Myanmar responded with a 5-1 run, narrowing the gap to just one point, 20-21, threatening to turn the set. But head coach Angiolino Frigoni made crucial late adjustments, inserting Lloyd Josafat, who set up Bagunas for a thunderous off-the-block kill before scoring on a block himself. Jade Disquitado then sealed the set with an ace, capping a 4-0 run powered by the second unit.
In the third set, Bagunas dominated, scoring six of the team’s last 10 points, while Espejo, Ordiales, and Kim Malabunga contributed in a 3-0 run that secured a 3-0 sweep and the Philippines’ first win.
