Alas Pilipinas Men opened their 33rd Southeast Asian Games campaign with a straight-sets victory over a resilient Myanmar side, 25-23, 25-20, 25-21, on Saturday at the Indoor Stadium Huamark in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Philippines needed to shake off early nerves in the opening set as Myanmar dictated the tempo behind smart off-the-block attacks, building a five-point advantage at 21-16.
Alas regained control behind the veteran leadership of Marck Espejo and the energy of Al-Bukharie Sali, who came in to spark the offense.
Their five combined points fueled a 7-1 surge that turned the set in the Filipinos’ favor. After Myo Min Oo briefly stopped the run, Bryan Bagunas and Espejo closed out the frame to hand Alas the first set.
Momentum carried into the second set, though the period remained tightly contested until Leo Ordiales found his touch. Ordiales scored three points, including two service aces, to anchor a 4-0 run that broke a 16-all tie and pushed the Philippines ahead, 20-16.
Myanmar responded with a late push, trimming the deficit to 21-20, but Alas steadied behind timely adjustments from head coach Angiolino Frigoni.
Substitute Lloyd Josafat made an immediate impact, setting up Bagunas for a powerful kill before scoring on a block, while Jade Disquitado punctuated the set with a service ace to give the Philippines a 2-0 lead.
Bagunas then took charge in the third set, delivering six of Alas’ final 10 points as the Filipinos kept Myanmar at bay. Support came from Espejo, Ordiales, and Kim Malabunga, who helped seal the match with a closing 3-0 run.
With the win, Alas Pilipinas moved closer to securing a semifinals berth in the tournament.
