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Marck Espejo turns in a 30-point performance as Alas Pilipinas overcomes Thailand in a gutsy five-set win to sweep the test event for the upcoming FIVB Men’s World Championships that will be hosted by the Philippines
MANILA, Philippines – Months before the Philippines hosts the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championships, Alas Pilipinas showed it got its groove at home.
Capping the three-day Invitationals on Thursday, June 12, Alas Men withstood regional powerhouse Thailand in five sets, 21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 21-25, 15-12, to sweep the tournament, which served as a test event for the World Championships, at the Araneta Coliseum.
Marck Espejo led the Nationals once more, putting up 30 points off 23 attacks, 1 block, and 6 service aces as he pulled Alas out of danger late in a seesaw fifth set.
After Thailand led 10-9 in the final set, Espejo took over for Alas, delivering two crucial serves that both ended in a point, before Buds Buddin drilled back-to-back attacks to push the Filipinos to match point.
The Thais tried to mount a comeback, only for Espejo to seal the deal with a back-row kill to keep the Filipinos’ slate unblemished.
“While we won this game, it doesn’t mean that this will be our performance in our succeeding games. But this is really the progress of our team so far. We’re happy that we are in this right now,” Espejo said in Filipino.
“We are so proud of the core of the team because anyone off the bench can perform anytime. As a captain, they are helping me,” he added.
After dropping the fourth set, Alas leaned on the NU Bulldogs duo of Buddin and Leo Ordiales early in the fifth frame to snag a 7-4 lead before Thailand regained steam.
Louis Ramirez had 15 points, while Steven Rotter added 14 markers for Alas. Kim Malabunga tallied 9 points, with Ordiales and Buddin adding 6 and 5 markers, respectively.
The Philippines’ last such victory over Thailand was in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games’ semifinals, a historic win that has since sparked the resurgence of men’s volleyball in the country.
With the win, the Philippines ended the tournament as the lone undefeated team after taking down the Asian league champions Hyundai Capital of South Korea and Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi of Indonesa in the past two days.
Alas Men will now prepare for the 2025 AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup from June 17 to 24 in Manama, Bahrain.
Khonhand Amornthep paced Thailand with 25 points, while Nilsawai Kissada recorded 12. No other Thai scored in double digits in the five-set clash. – Rappler.com
