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, although they mounted 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.
