Alas Pilipinas Men stumbled at the start of its 2026 SEA V Cup second-leg campaign, falling to Leg 1 champion Cambodia in straight sets, 20-25, 21-25, 20-25, on Thursday at the Jakarta International Velodrome.
The loss came just a week after the Filipinos pushed the Cambodians to a grueling five-set battle before falling short, 23-25, 30-28, 20-25, 25-22, 8-15, during the first leg in Candon, Ilocos Sur.
Unlike their first meeting, which went the distance, the Filipinos struggled to match Cambodia’s intensity and were swept. Still, they managed to mount a spirited fight in the third set and came close to extending the match.
Joshua Magalaman broke a 19-all deadlock with a quick attack before Kuon Mom sent his hit long, giving the Philippines a 21-19 advantage.
Cambodia, however, quickly regained control behind Veasna Vourne, who sparked a crucial 3-0 run to turn the tide and put his team ahead, 22-21. Magalaman answered with another quick attack to tie the score at 22-all.
Vourne and Jude Garcia then traded points in a tense finish that brought the score to 24-all, but Mom blasted a cross-court kill to hand Cambodia match point. Garcia’s ensuing attack sailed long, sealing the straight-sets victory for the Cambodians.
Alas Pilipinas will look to keep its semifinal hopes alive when it faces host Indonesia on Friday, seeking revenge for its first-leg loss and aiming to force a three-way tie in Pool A.
