Marck Espejo erupted for 30 points as Alas Pilipinas overcame a fourth-set stumble to pull off a thrilling 21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 21-25, 15-12 five-set victory over eight-time SEA Games gold medalist Thailand, completing a perfect sweep of the Alas Pilipinas Invitationals on Thursday evening at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
With Espejo firing on all cylinders, the Nationals bounced back from a sluggish start and recovered from a fourth-set setback to hand Thailand its first loss of the tournament.
The win gave the host country a flawless 3-0 record in the three-day test event, which served as a dry run for the Philippines’ hosting of the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship from September 12 to 28 at the Big Dome and SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
By sweeping a competitive four-team field that featured regional powerhouse Thailand and Asian league champions Hyundai Capital (Korea) and Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi (Indonesia), Alas Pilipinas built valuable momentum ahead of the 2025 AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup, set for June 17 to 24 in Manama, Bahrain.
Beyond the court, the Alas Men’s Independence Day victory was made even sweeter as their women’s counterparts — Alas Women — earlier swept Kazakhstan to return to the semifinals of the AVC Women’s Nations Cup.
“Masaya kasi yung huling panalo namin against Thailand was 2019 pa. Pero hindi naman ito yung papagbasehan talaga kasi Invitationals lang ito. Ito lang yung parang gauge namin kung nasaan na yung team. Pero syempre beating Thailand, parang nakakaboost ng confidence,” said Espejo, who led all scorers with 30 points built on 23 attacks, six aces, and one block.
Down 1-3 early in the deciding fifth set, Espejo found support from National University standout Leo Ordiales, who ignited a crucial 6-1 run with three straight points, giving Alas a 7-4 advantage.
Thailand quickly responded, regaining a slim 10-9 lead. But Espejo, known as “The Phenom,” atoned for earlier miscues with a through-the-block kill and a blistering service ace to push the Nationals back ahead, 12-10.
Another NU Bulldog, Buds Buddin, stepped up in crunch time with back-to-back hits — an off-the-block shot followed by a sharp crosscourt spike — to bring the Philippines to match point at 14-11. Espejo then delivered the knockout blow with a signature backrow attack, sealing both the win and the tournament sweep, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
“If you heard my interview before, I said that for us, it’s not important to win or to lose. Because in these matches, we can get information by statistics, motions, and to see if the players are good enough to compete and what we have to improve,” said Alas Men head coach Angiolino Frigoni.
Louie Ramirez added 15 points off 13 attacks and three blocks, while Steven Rotter chipped in 14 points from 12 attacks and two aces.
Veteran middle blocker Kim Malabunga — part of the historic 2019 SEA Games team that last beat Thailand — contributed nine points, including four blocks. Ordiales and Buddin also made key contributions with six and five points, respectively.
Thailand’s Khonhand Amornthep paced his team with 25 points built on 19 attacks, five aces, and one block. Thungkham Chaiwat supported with 16 points, while Nilsawai Kissada tallied 12 points with three blocks. Phanram Anurak added seven markers.
Earlier in the day, a clash between Asian league titans saw Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi outlast Hyundai Capital in another five-set thriller, 22-25, 25-12, 25-23, 20-25, 15-11.
Arjuna Mahendra led the way for the back-to-back Indonesian Proliga champions with 24 points off 16 attacks, seven blocks, and one ace. He was backed by Agil Angga, who poured in 19 points from 13 attacks, four aces, and two blocks, helping Jakarta end their campaign with a 1-2 record.
Despite going winless, Hyundai Capital found bright spots in the performance of Lee Seung Jun, who tallied 21 points from 20 attacks and an ace.
Lee Jae Hyun also impressed with 17 points in the Skywalkers’ spirited run throughout the tournament organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF).
