Alas Pilipinas places fourth in the SEA V-League for men Candon, Philippines leg. –HANDOUT PHOTO
After an up-and-down week that ended with a lopsided loss, Alas Pilipinas knows there’s little time to dwell.
The national team leaves for Jakarta with only a short window to regroup before the second leg of the Southeast Asian V.League kicks off Wednesday in Indonesia.
READ: Alas Pilipinas passes Vietnam test with next man up mantra
Alas Pilipinas finished the Candon leg at 2-2, falling short of the podium after a 25-19, 25-17, 25-17 loss to Indonesia on Sunday night. The result came just days after the squad pushed eventual champion Thailand to a close three-set match.
“We fell short. Just a bit short,” said team captain Kim Malabunga. “I believe we will recover from this soon.”
The home team had bright spots — a sweep of Vietnam and a five-set win over Cambodia — but struggled to string together consistent performances over four matches.
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Outside hitter Leo Ordiales, though, provided steady offense and was named Best Opposite Hitter of the tournament.
Alas Pilipinas is hoping to have veterans Marck Espejo (ankle) and Bryan Bagunas (knee) back in the lineup closer to the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship hosted by the country, but for now, the team will lean on its current rotation to quickly correct course.
PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara said a 2-2 finish is acceptable for a young group but stressed the need to cut down on errors and manage crucial stretches better.
“The team needs to learn from their mistakes, their errors,” Suzara said. “Two wins and two losses, overall it’s a good result with this young team. But we still need to work harder.”
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Suzara also praised the local staging of the event and said Candon City may host future tournaments, including the 2026 AVC Women’s Nations Cup, which the city has formally bid to organize.
