Louie Ramirez delivered a stellar performance as Alas Pilipinas bounced back from a grueling second-set defeat to edge Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi in a tightly contested four-set match, 25-23, 27-29, 25-21, 25-22, at the start of the Alas Pilipinas Invitationals on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With Ramirez spearheading the charge, the Nationals shook off a heartbreaking collapse in the second set — which denied them a commanding 2-0 lead — and regrouped in the following frames to clinch their first victory in the three-day tournament.
The event serves as part of their preparation for the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship this September.
The Cignal star erupted for 25 points built on 21 attacks, three kill blocks, and an ace, setting the tone for Alas Pilipinas’ strong opening salvo.
“Mindset lang namin is mailaro yung dapat naming mailaro — yung gusto ni Coach Angiolino — kasi grabe talaga ‘yung paghihirap namin araw-araw sa training. Gusto lang naming maipakita kung ano ‘yung gusto niyang mangyari,” said Ramirez.
In the fourth set, with the score tied at 19-all, Ramirez broke the deadlock with a sharp down-the-line spike. Lloyd Josafat then denied Arjuna Mahendra with a massive block to give the home team a 21-19 cushion.
Steven Rotter’s service error momentarily halted the momentum, but Ramirez answered with a thunderous kill. Mahendra retaliated with a cross-court strike to keep Jakarta within reach, 22-21.
UAAP MVP Kennedy Batas, who came in as a late substitution in the fourth frame with Alas ahead 17-16 following Buds Buddin’s exit due to cramps, made an immediate impact. He scored off the block and followed up with a crucial denial to bring the Nationals to match point, 24-22.
Agil Angga Anggara kept Jakarta alive with a quick hit, but a costly service error handed the win to the Philippines.
“A win is always better than a loss. For us, these matches show what we have to improve more. It really doesn’t matter very much if you win or lose these matches. For us, it’s important to understand what we have to practice more. But of course, we are happy to win,” said Alas Pilipinas head coach Angiolino Frigoni.
Rotter chipped in 14 points off 12 attacks, one ace, and one block, while Buddin added 11 points from seven attacks, three kill blocks, and one ace. Peng Taguibolos also contributed eight points for the Nationals.
Batas finished with three points — all in the decisive fourth set — off two attacks and one block.
Team captain Marck Espejo saw limited action and registered just one point. Meanwhile, new recruit Jackson Reed and libero Jack Kalingking were not fielded in the match.
Alas Pilipinas dominated at the net, tallying 15 blocks in total, with three players — Ramirez, Josafat, and Buddin — each recording three kill blocks.
The Nationals return to action on Wednesday at 7:30 PM against Hyundai Capital Skywalkers.
Anggara led the back-to-back Proliga champions with 20 points, while Mahendra and Rendy Tamamilang added 15 and 12 markers, respectively, for Jakarta.
Meanwhile, Thailand overcame a narrow second-set loss to defeat Hyundai Capital in four sets, 25-22, 24-26, 25-19, 25-21, and open its campaign with a statement win.
Four Thai players scored in double figures, led by Amorntep Konhan with 19 points on 12 attacks, four kill blocks, and three aces.
Anurak Phanram followed with 15 points on 11 attacks, two aces, and two kill blocks. Meanwhile, Kissada Nilsawai and Chaiwat Thungkham chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively, in Thailand’s well-balanced offensive display.
Despite Seung Jun Lee’s game-high 25-point outburst, Hyundai Capital couldn’t pull through in its tournament debut. Jae Hyun Lee added 17 points from 13 attacks, two aces, and two blocks.
