At the heart of the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday night, Louie Ramirez stood tall and unfazed, as if the second-set collapse never happened.
Instead, the Cignal star channeled that frustration into fire.
With Ramirez delivering blow after blow, Alas Pilipinas shrugged off a stinging second-set loss and fended off Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi in a thrilling four-set opener, 25-23, 27-29, 25-21, 25-22, to kickstart the 2024 Alas Pilipinas Invitationals with a win.
“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, who finished with 25 points built on 21 attacks, three kill blocks, and an ace.
The tournament, running for three days, is more than just a showcase of talent—it’s a proving ground for the Filipino squad ahead of the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship in September.
And Ramirez? He made sure his presence was felt early.
After losing a tight second set that could have put the Philippines up 2–0, Alas regrouped and showed composure. The third frame saw the Nationals rediscover their rhythm behind key stops at the net and a flurry of attacks from Ramirez and Buds Buddin. By the fourth, the momentum had fully shifted.
With the score deadlocked at 19-all, Ramirez powered through with a signature down-the-line missile. Moments later, Lloyd Josafat soared for a timely denial of Arjuna Mahendra, giving Alas a slim cushion. Though a service error by Steven Rotter momentarily gave Jakarta life, Ramirez silenced the threat with another emphatic spike.
As the crowd roared, debutant and reigning UAAP MVP Kennedy Batas came in and turned the tide. With Buddin sidelined due to cramps, Batas took charge—scoring off the block, then rising for a crucial rejection that pushed the Philippines to match point, 24-22.
Jakarta’s Agil Angga Anggara momentarily saved the visitors, but a crucial service error on the next play spelled the end.
“A win is always better than a loss,” said Alas head coach Angiolino Frigoni, emphasizing the importance of using every match as a learning opportunity. “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 for us to understand what we have to practice more. But of course, we are happy to win.”
Rotter chipped in 14 points, while Buddin, before leaving the match in the fourth set, added 11 points highlighted by three blocks and a service ace. Middle blocker Peng Taguibolos added eight points in a quietly steady showing.
Batas, stepping into the spotlight late, proved his mettle with three quick points in crunch time—two attacks and one clutch block.
Captain Marck Espejo played sparingly and scored just a point, while new addition Jackson Reed and defensive specialist Jack Kalingking were not fielded.
Alas Pilipinas dominated the net all match long, tallying a total of 15 blocks with Ramirez, Buddin, and Josafat each contributing three.
On the other end, Anggara led Jakarta’s charge with 20 points, while Mahendra and Rendy Tamamilang had 15 and 12 markers, respectively.
The victory sets the tone for Alas Pilipinas’ campaign as they face a sterner test on Wednesday against the Hyundai Capital Skywalkers at 7:30 p.m.
Earlier in the day, Thailand showcased its might with a methodical four-set win over the Skywalkers, 25-22, 24-26, 25-19, 25-21. After dropping the second frame in heartbreaking fashion, the Thais regrouped and stormed past the Korean club with a balanced offensive effort.
Amorntep Konhan led the way with 19 points on 12 attacks, four blocks, and three aces. He was ably supported by Anurak Phanram (15), Kissada Nilsawai (13), and Chaiwat Thungkham (12).
Despite Seung Jun Lee’s explosive 25-point effort, the Skywalkers fell short in their tournament debut. Jae Hyun Lee added 17 points, but the Korean side struggled to match Thailand’s defensive discipline and cohesion down the stretch.
