Alas Pilipinas finished their 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Men campaign in 10th place, losing to last year’s champion Thailand in the battle for ninth, 20-25, 25-23, 22-25, 20-25, Friday evening (Manila time) at the Isa Sport City Hall in Bahrain.
This is the second consecutive edition in which the Philippines ended in 10th place, having secured the same position last year in Taiwan.
Alas’ late-game execution in the second set was on point, with Kim Malabunga’s smart decision to push the ball right back after Owa Retamar was denied on his 1-2 play, followed by Marck Espejo’s sharp crosscourt kill for the equalizer at 25-23.
However, Thailand team captain Khonhan Amornthep carried his team in the third frame to move within one win of victory, 25-22.
With the Philippines inching closer in the fourth through the hits of Noel Kampton and Espejo, Amornthep once again lifted the Thais, along with Jenthaisong Supakorn, to secure the win in one hour and 56 minutes.
(c) AVC
Espejo led the way for Alas for the second straight match, following up his 20-point output against Indonesia with 16 points here, but this time, it did not result in a victory.
Jade Disquitado, who started as the opposite spiker for the Nationals, registered 14 points, while Lloyd Josafat and Malabunga added nine and seven points, respectively.
Jau Umandal, who only played in the first two sets, chipped in eight points, while Noel Kampton got six points in limited minutes in the fourth set.
Amornthep erupted for Thailand with 30 points, including 10 each in the third and fourth stanzas, while Supakorn backed him up with 15 points.
However, it was the errors that proved to be the biggest difference in the close match, as the Filipinos committed 31 miscues compared to the Thais’ 22.
Alas won the spiking battle, 57-55, while closely losing the blocking and service departments, 6-7 and 2-5, respectively.
