CANDON, Ilocos Sur — Ateneo de Manila University teammates Jian Salarzon and Rodge Alejos not only earned spots on the Alas Pilipinas roster for the first leg of the 2026 Southeast Asian V Cup — they were also named to the starting lineup against reigning AVC Men’s Cup champion Indonesia on Friday.
The Blue Eagles duo delivered encouraging performances as the Philippines put up a spirited fight before eventually bowing in three closely-contested sets, 20-25, 23-25, 25-27, at the Candon City Arena here.
The loss ended Alas Pilipinas’ hopes of reaching the podium.
Salarzon finished with eight points, while Alejos added six, including the Nationals’ lone service ace in the one-hour, 39-minute match.
Alas Pilipinas wrapped up Pool A without a win and will now battle Myanmar for fifth place in the regional tournament, hosted by Candon City Mayor Eric Singson and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, on Saturday at 1:00 PM.
“Ngayon lang yung nabigyan ako ng chance maglaro sa national team. Sobrang happy ako and sobrang grateful ako sa opportunity na binigay sa akin, lalo na magagamit ko yung mga experience dito sa mga upcoming games pa namin sa UAAP,” said Salarzon, who has committed to returning to Ateneo for his final year of eligibility in UAAP Season 89.
“I mean, grabe, parang privilege talaga makasama sa Alas team, and thankful ako kay God kasi without Him,” shared Alejos, who completed his first season with the Blue Eagles in UAAP Season 88.
Although they were surprised to be included in the starting six, both players said they felt ready for the opportunity after the preparations under head coach Angiolino Frigoni.
Aside from Alejos and Salarzon, seven of the remaining 12 players on the roster are also making their national team debuts, with only five members of the squad having previous Alas Pilipinas experience.
“Hindi ko talaga in-expect kasi si Coach Frigoni, nagbi-base sa training. Ang ginawa ko lang is focus lang ako sa training, and binigay ko yung best ko once I was called na mag-start today. Confident naman ako since we had our training and training camp here early, and ayun nga with the confidence, nakapag-perform naman,” said Alejos.
“Siguro yung mga sinasabi lang ni Coach sa training, especially during training, sinasabi niya na lahat ng kung ano yung kailangang gawin, puwedeng i-apply sa game. Yun lang din yung naging mindset ko na lahat ng maibibigay na bola sa akin, lagi ko lang gawin yung mga sinasabi niya sa akin,” added Salarzon.
The second leg of the SEA V Cup will be held from July 22 to 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia, where both players hope to continue gaining valuable experience that they can bring into Ateneo’s UAAP Season 89 campaign.
“Grabe, hindi ko rin ine-expect na magsasabay kami mag-start (ni Jian), and I’m very proud of him, and I’m sure he’s proud of me for a milestone na we achieved today,” said Alejos.
